@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:I bought a gently used car in NH this summer and had to pay MA sales tax because that’s where it is garaged
Alas! Most states want their pound of flesh! 
@jerrr51 wrote:
Yup, the only beef i have with eBay and sales tax is they are charging the tax on shipping rates that are set by the sellers. And as a buyer you know how ridiculous the cost can be at times as the seller can charge any price they please. Yeah i know before you say it you don't have to buy from them... Shipping rates should be regulated in my humble opinion..
Sales tax is determined by the total amount of the sale, in most cases. If the state to which the item is being shipped deems shipping to be taxable, it is taxed.
Your opinion that shipping rates should be regulated is something that I can see causing quite a few problems. Frankly, what we don't need, in my opinion, is more government regulation. If you're talking about eBay regulating it, I would probably trust the government to do a better job of it and we all know what a mess the government can make of things.
Of course, in the governments defense, if you've ever read the rules of parliamentary procedure, it is a wonder that anything ever gets accomplished.
@jbrownarizonacalif wrote:PS: I went to buy a cellphone last week for $210 from a seller in Miami, Florida (whom I had bought from in December, 2018 for $210 for a cellphone, without sales tax)...during this checkout, they were charging me $20? sales tax. I cancelled the sale and went elsewhere. I bought from another seller up north, in New York? and I made sure that they did NOT charge me sales tax. They got my business, instead of the florida seller. Next time that I need a cellphone, I will buy one from China, through Ebay, or go down to Mexico and buy one from down there and bring it back with me so that I will NOT have to pay these highway robbers and thieves any sales tax.
Anyway, just so that you know...I DO shop locally and spend my money locally to support the local economy, and I don't mind being taxed a little locally. However, I object to being taxed to death by these thieves and highway robbers. I only buy online if I cannot find it locally to buy. I believe in supporting the local economy, but I DO object to being taxed to death.
You do realize that you were required to pay the sales/use tax to your state on that purchase in 2018, right? If the seller didn't collect it, you are still required to pay it to your state yourself.
As has been mentioned, the tax is based on the state that the item is shipped to and not the seller's location. It is your state that has levied the tax. Buying from sources that do not collect the tax does not mean that you do not owe it.
Alas! I don't know many people that do not feel that they are being taxed "to death," as you put it. Unfortunately, the only ways to legally avoid paying sales/use taxes levied by one's state is to move to a state that does not charge their residents such taxes. There are, I believe, four or five in that category. You could see if you can get an exemption for being a charitable organization or on merchandise that you hold for resale. You'll have to check with your state's taxing authority, but I'd probably refrain from calling them thieves and highway robbers when doing so.
Of course, since it is your state's legislature that levied these taxes, you might wish to try getting more active in politics and working to get these taxes repealed. I'm not too sure of if you could prevail since most legislators know that the state needs funds to provide for the operation of government and maintain a viable infrastructure, but I wish you luck, if you choose this course of action.
