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Old 12-07-2011, 06:42 PM
 
8 posts, read 18,538 times
Reputation: 11

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It's Christmas time. You buy some gifts online, or you get gifts from out-of-state relatives. Or let's say you bought some items at a yard sale. Now the state says you owe "use tax" on these items if no sales tax was paid. But does anyone ever actually pay it? Seems like a lot of bother and effort, not to mention the Grinchiness of having to pay tax on Christmas gifts.
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Old 12-07-2011, 08:00 PM
 
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,551 posts, read 81,085,957 times
Reputation: 57750
That's the state's way of taking advantage of people that are honest and strictly law-abiding. Very few would actually pay use tax on items purchased in Oregon, or on items bought on e-bay or Craigslist. It's just not very likely that the state could ever find out and enforce it.
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Old 12-07-2011, 08:07 PM
 
9,618 posts, read 27,330,094 times
Reputation: 5382
I'm honest and law abiding, but I'm not about to let the authorities know I bought something at a yard sale. It's like stopping off at the police station to let the know that a couple of miles back, you were going 10 miles over the limit, and should get a ticket.
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Old 12-07-2011, 11:05 PM
 
3,695 posts, read 11,368,771 times
Reputation: 2651
I've never heard of anyone I know paying use tax except on cars bought out of state.
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Old 12-07-2011, 11:36 PM
 
Location: anywhere but Seattle
1,082 posts, read 2,560,539 times
Reputation: 999
Theres a use tax? Never heard of it before.
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Old 12-08-2011, 12:04 AM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,690 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46171
Quote:
Originally Posted by evergraystate View Post
Theres a use tax? Never heard of it before.
Have you filed a business return lately?

Alas. This may be Evidence that WA voters have a significant 'disconnect' in the 3 counties that have enough majority to burden the remaining 36 counties with rules that we must jump through to create jobs, invent and manufacture products, Farm, Ranch ...

Use tax is trivial compared to Personal property tax (I'll bet you don't pay that either). ANY tangible assets you use in your business... paper clips, waste baskets, pencils, typewriter ribbons... It is all carried on the books and MUST be reported annually and tax paid (at same rate as your home, i.e. REAL property rate). Forget that one yr, and you will wish you had stopped by the police station and asked for that measly few hundred dollar traffic ticket instead.

WA Use tax, yep, pay it monthly....
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Old 12-08-2011, 12:09 AM
 
Location: Seattle area
9,182 posts, read 12,120,375 times
Reputation: 6405
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ira500 View Post
I'm honest and law abiding, but I'm not about to let the authorities know I bought something at a yard sale. It's like stopping off at the police station to let the know that a couple of miles back, you were going 10 miles over the limit, and should get a ticket.
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Old 12-08-2011, 02:56 PM
 
Location: anywhere but Seattle
1,082 posts, read 2,560,539 times
Reputation: 999
Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit View Post
Have you filed a business return lately?
Nope. Thats why my business is located in another state. No way I'm paying the insane taxes around here. We don't even have any customers here.
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Old 12-08-2011, 04:45 PM
 
Location: Greater Seattle, WA Metro Area
1,930 posts, read 6,532,885 times
Reputation: 907
In case anyone cares, here's the link on personal property tax for businesses in WA. None of my small business clients are impacted by it because the exemption limit is relatively high for a sole proprietor.

Personal business property assessments
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Old 12-08-2011, 05:36 PM
 
Location: Seattle
571 posts, read 1,172,626 times
Reputation: 834
A friend and I bought some items from an Apple store in Portland and were informed of this tax, and that was the first time I'd heard of it after living in Seattle for about 7 years now. Defeated the purpose of coming to OR to save quite a lot in tax! Still not sure how WA can track that....
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