I have been a B&H customer for many years, and the reason being laser fast free shipping and no sales tax. This past week I received a letter from them stating they had notified the state of Colorado of my purchases which amounted to slightly over 3K. Now I know we are supposed to pay the state taxes voluntarily on our purchases from out of state businesses, but I believe not many do, at least I didn't until now. Being a Canon shooter B&H priced those items at list and the savings was in taxes. So, from now on I will make my purchases from my local brick a mortar store which is Mike's Camera in Boulder, Colorado (which is 9 miles away) and not have to deal with this when I file my state taxes. No problemo, and no more waiting around for the big brown truck, but has anyone else received a letter like mine from B&H? I shudder at the though of receiving a letter from Adorama!

This could be the best thing that has happened for local camera stores.

California is awash in money. Why, because California taxes just about everything. The state has raised so much so that according to state law, the state can't put any more money in the bank. So what will the State do, IMO, throw your taxes away on really stupid things, like a high speed train to nowhere. And it really isn't high speed at all. So its a slow speed train to nowhere. In the past, perhaps a state might consider a reduction in state taxes. Ha, what a joke! I don't mind supporting a reasonable tax rate, but in many cases, like California, "reasonable" has lost any meaning. I feel sorry for my kids and my grandchildren. We are awash in waste. And guess what, I am leaving California, its only going to get worse.

One of the odd little things about the US and self inflicted. In England one tax rate (20% VAT). To the outside world the US appears to be one country but its not. When an item is made and the packaging includes a price it is the base price, then you go through the checkout and the state tax is added. So wander through the shop and then mentally add the state tax to everything. What a pain. Why on earth you guys couldn't have picked the same state tax throughout the US I don't know. You could probably have dropped the state taxes by a couple of % without the overhead of running this system. Don't get me started on the medical system and each state running its own system. I was there once and needed a prescription. It was issued by a doctor somewhere in the center of a state and I decided to have it filled just over the border of the next state as I travelled. Not bloody likely ! So I went without and as it happened came right without it. Craziest system ever. Self inflicted.
We pay GST here and the NZ govt is trying to get every retailer in the rest of the world to collect the GST on its behalf and submit it to them. Their alternative is to open every package arriving into NZ and invoice the receivers (might make it hard to smuggle drugs though). This will happen to you guys eventually also.
This world is going to grind to a halt with red tape. Much easier to do away with State taxes, GST and VAT and increase the income tax rate.