When does FL require sales tax be collected on internet sales?

If it doesn't fit in any of the other forums, post it here!
User avatar
Odessaman
Posts: 404
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 4:50 pm
Location: NW Hillsborough County

When does FL require sales tax be collected on internet sales?

Post by Odessaman »

I got an Ammoman gift certificate for Christmas, so I've been watching regularly ever since to see when something I can use is in stock.

Finally, today I start to place an order for $240 worth of ammo - yes, it's panic priced, but orders over $99 get free shipping, and it's not my money, so what the heck.

I go to check out, and they're socking me for 8.5% sales tax (which is the sales tax in the county where I live) which adds another $20.40 to the order.

Now, their only warehouse is in New Hampshire - how and when does an out of state seller get to charge local sales tax?
N4KVE
Posts: 943
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 1:59 pm
Location: PALM BEACH

Post by N4KVE »

I thought the law was changed a few years ago, & companies are required to collect tax no matter what state the goods went to. GARY.
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4729- ... -tips.html
User avatar
Odessaman
Posts: 404
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 4:50 pm
Location: NW Hillsborough County

Post by Odessaman »

Thanks - I thought it was still only required when the seller maintained some presence in Florida, such as a distribution center or sales office. Guess some vendors collect it, and some don't.
User avatar
REDinFL
Posts: 1389
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: Largo

Post by REDinFL »

I'm guessing Ammoman just started doing this as of 1 Jan. I've bought from them before and free shipping and no tax was an incentive and equalizer. Of course, the truth is FL always required the tax - one was supposed to file a "use tax" annually for out of state purchases - but now they are getting it from the other end. A lot of stores have been collecting it for quite a while. If I didn't care about rocking the boat and drawing attention to myself, I'd have been tempted to report the collection to Florida to "make sure they got it."
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a Single Star.
N4KVE
Posts: 943
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 1:59 pm
Location: PALM BEACH

Post by N4KVE »

This is something local FFL’s have wanted for years because they lose so many sales to out of state FFL’s because of the saving due to no tax. Sure you could say the difference was made up by shipping, & transfer fees, but with many out of state FFL’s offering free shipping, & local $10 transfers, it was still cheaper. Now the playing field is level with tax being collected from out of state purchases. This was always the topic of discussion at the shows between 8AM, & 9AM. GARY.
P5 Guy
Posts: 1298
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:20 pm
Location: St Pete

Post by P5 Guy »

I just hate paying taxes, PERIOD!

The reason I bought from out of state mail order houses.
User avatar
FfNJGTFO
Posts: 713
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:23 pm
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL

Post by FfNJGTFO »

Yeah, I now see the new regulation. But out of state vendors are not yet doing it because it's hard for them to get caught... unless one of the buyers gets nailed for not paying the "use tax" and they trace it back to that vendor.
cvo
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 10:08 am
Location: Odessa

Post by cvo »

Some states coop with Florida now on collecting sales tax. The sales tax they collect is sent to Florida.
Gregg
Posts: 202
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 7:05 pm
Location: Space Coast - Merritt Island

Post by Gregg »

FfNJGTFO wrote: Thu Jan 28, 2021 8:51 am Yeah, I now see the new regulation. But out of state vendors are not yet doing it because it's hard for them to get caught... unless one of the buyers gets nailed for not paying the "use tax" and they trace it back to that vendor.

Story time:
About ten years ago, I bought a rifle off a seller on Gunbroker that I really wanted for my collection. He demanded I be charged the 7% Florida (Brevard County) sales tax on the transaction. I questioned him about it, and he stated it was a requirement, even though he was located in New York with no physical presence here in Florida.
Since I really wanted the rifle, I complied to the toon of over $300.
My FFL received the rifle, and it was transferred to me without issue.
Still it had struck a raw nerve with me, and since I had at that time a Florida business, and was collecting, reporting and sending sales tax funds to Florida; I asked a clerk I had gotten to know, to check to see if they were receiving sales tax monies collected by said person in New York.
Needless to say, said person (seller) had never communicated with Florida Sales Tax Department, had never filed any paperwork and had never sent any collected sales tax money to Florida.
It turned out the guy was a gun shop owner and not a private collector/seller he claimed to be.
I do not know exactly what happened, but something must have happened, as the guy blacklisted me.
I've always wondered how much in out of state sales taxes he had collected, and pocketed.
User avatar
rentprop1
Posts: 1043
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:05 pm
Location: West Central FL
Contact:

Post by rentprop1 »

Odessaman wrote: Wed Jan 27, 2021 11:16 pm how and when does an out of state seller get to charge local sales tax?
you have always been required claim internet purchases on your taxes, since most were out of state, no one ever did it, so the Gov stepped in and back about June of 2019 made it known to online sellers, ecommerce folks, Amazon, etc that the hammer was coming....I think Amazon started before 2020 collecting sales tax, when you try and figure out the tax base ( for your county ) it never works out, I believe the percentage is from the county of the dist center location, or if out of state, again location.

FWIW GunBroker started collecting sales tax on Jan 1, 2021 they supposedly are collecting it and remitting it on your behalf. We havent seen our Jan statement yet but I can tell you its gonna be a chit show.

some folks believe its your county tax base, some say its where the item came from, either way I don't think the Gov even knows , last I heard the credit card companies were scrambling to design a database of the tax base in every city, county, state, but that can change all the time at the local level, total chit show.

bottom line the hammer is coming and no one wants to let anyone slide and then be responsible for tax they should have charged you, now are out of state people still skimming and not reporting it to FL, sure, will they get caught probably not, at least not now, but I couldn't imagine the total with fines and interest, should the state make me back-pay for 18 months worth of tax I should have collected and didn't. :mrgreen:
Post Reply