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Old 11-11-2010, 11:06 AM
 
Location: Nebraska
4,531 posts, read 8,840,284 times
Reputation: 7595

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I don't live in Montana but I may make the move in the future. Currently I live in Lincoln, Nebraska but I am considering a move. A thread I started in the Nebraska Forum explains one reason why.
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Yesterday I needed to buy a Top Up card for my Virgin Mobile phone. I was in one of the local grocery stores that sells various Cell Phone minute cards. They had a Virgin Top Up card for $30/400 minutes. When I paid for it at the register instead of the usual 7% sales tax that would equal $1.40 the total was $4.18 in taxes in addition to the $30 purchase price. This is the Cell Phone use tax that our city council passed recently. Now I realize taxes are necessary but I also feel that if there is ANY way a citizen can legally avoid paying a tax he has a duty to do it.

I have friends and relatives living in Montana where there is no sales tax. I pay $30 plus taxes every month to buy Virgin Mobile Top Up cards. I can have a relative buy 12 $30 Top Up cards for me in Montana for $360 plus a $.44 stamp. Buying the same cards here In Lincoln would cost me $410.61. In other words I can save $50.61 by buying them in Montana. It pays to have friends in different places.

GL2
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Old 11-11-2010, 01:14 PM
 
Location: Spots Wyoming
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That's one good reason. But imagine the savings on your new F350 Crew Cab King Rancher?
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Old 11-11-2010, 01:23 PM
 
Location: Nebraska
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Yes Elk Hunter,
The taxes I would pay on that F-350 here in Nebraska would pay for a new dirt bike for my Nephew.

GL2
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Old 11-12-2010, 03:50 AM
 
Location: Upper Midwest
1,873 posts, read 4,400,508 times
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One thing I've found since moving away - Montana may not have tax, but the base price is higher. Everything from milk to houses. In Great Falls, I never found a gallon of milk for under 2.99 (occasionally 2% would go below that price on sale, but that was rare, and I prefer not to drink 2% normally anyway). I thought I was getting a good deal when I bought the brand name Viva (Meadow Gold) at Walgreens for $2.99 per gallon.

Since moving back to tax-paying Wisconsin, I now buy my milk at Kwik Trip - a large chain of gas stations found in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. Last gallon I bought was $2.59... no tax (I guess they don't tax milk... some items in some places they just choose not to tax.. I'm still hazy on the whole rhyme and reasoning behind what they tax and what they don't). That's regular price there all the time. And I have a milk punch card. So after so many gallons I'll get one free.

We also have a discount grocery store called Aldi. The whole concept behind it is very cheaply-priced groceries. Not a huge selection, but you can get some things very cheap. Milk is under $2.50 a gallon (don't quite remember... I wanna say between $2.20 and $2.30, but I'm not going to buy milk made in another state when I live in Wisconsin. I think the kind sold at Aldi comes from Iowa. I'm very proud of my state and will buy local anytime possible, especially dairy.)

So yeah... the "no tax" thing sounds glorious, but the base price is where they get ya. It's almost like they calculate the tax in the price for ya. lol
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Old 11-12-2010, 04:57 AM
 
189 posts, read 334,790 times
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Not to nitpick, but milk is not a good thing to use in comparison, because state governments artificially fix prices. Other foods might give a more realistic market comparison.

And when government makes a state minimum price for something like milk, it is indeed a TAX. Everyone pays more because of it. Evading it is a "crime."
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Old 11-12-2010, 07:35 AM
 
Location: Upper Midwest
1,873 posts, read 4,400,508 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Klapton View Post
Not to nitpick, but milk is not a good thing to use in comparison, because state governments artificially fix prices. Other foods might give a more realistic market comparison.

And when government makes a state minimum price for something like milk, it is indeed a TAX. Everyone pays more because of it. Evading it is a "crime."
I said everything from milk to houses though. My mom can't get over how cheap houses are in comparison. Property tax is high though. Any place you go will get you to open your wallet somewhere, bottom line. I just don't think people should be getting carried away over the no tax thing is all.
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Old 11-12-2010, 07:40 AM
 
Location: Spots Wyoming
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I think some of the people on here will remember that last year or maybe the summer before we did kind of a price comparison on grocery's, gas, etc between the different states of the people that visit the Montana thread. No real difference in grocery's. Housing had some differences but typical of folks, they didn't quote the price of the 3 bedroom ranch house on a small lot, they quoted prices of the 4 bedroom, daylight basement, on the river, with 40 acres as being the norm.

I think the biggest asset that Montana has is the beauty. Almost as good as Wyoming.
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Old 11-12-2010, 05:24 PM
 
Location: Upper Midwest
1,873 posts, read 4,400,508 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ElkHunter View Post
I think some of the people on here will remember that last year or maybe the summer before we did kind of a price comparison on grocery's, gas, etc between the different states of the people that visit the Montana thread. No real difference in grocery's.
My point exactly.
People think a sales tax vs. none... it's so much more expensive to live there all-around. No....
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Old 11-12-2010, 05:59 PM
 
Location: Spots Wyoming
18,700 posts, read 41,962,205 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Minnesconsinite View Post
My point exactly.
People think a sales tax vs. none... it's so much more expensive to live there all-around. No....
Well, that's because most states (yours included) do not tax food items. So it was determined that 3 or 4 cents here or there didn't make a lot of difference on grocery's between one state and another. Neither were taxed.

But items like mentioned by the OP can make a difference and big ticket items like a vehicle really makes a difference.
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Old 11-12-2010, 06:19 PM
 
Location: Upper Midwest
1,873 posts, read 4,400,508 times
Reputation: 1934
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElkHunter View Post
Well, that's because most states (yours included) do not tax food items. So it was determined that 3 or 4 cents here or there didn't make a lot of difference on grocery's between one state and another. Neither were taxed.

But items like mentioned by the OP can make a difference and big ticket items like a vehicle really makes a difference.
It's all down to where you want to live. If he loved Nebraska he would find some way to justify in his mind that that tax was okay and/or a non-issue.

I think it's pretty clear we all do that...
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