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No More B&H For Me!
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Feb 10, 2018 11:19:05   #
autry Loc: Ashland, VA. - Center of The Universe
 
Good luck on the local brick and mortar. I've tried to deal with my local on several Nikon camera's and lens, etc. through the years. On several cameral purchases I would always print out the B&H price off their web. Carry it in the local store and always received the same answer, "We can't buy it for that!"

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Feb 10, 2018 11:23:44   #
PhotosBySteve
 
I don't understand how you can fault B&H for your failure to file proper taxes. I would be very cautious about how you and others in this thread are admitting to tax evasion. Anyone can be turned on for tax evasion by anyone and they can receive reward. If I we're one of those in your shoes, I would be amending my returns immediately.

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Feb 10, 2018 11:28:54   #
47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range
 
Jakebrake wrote:
Naw, I'm happy in beautiful and colorful Colorado. Mike's Camera will get to know me on a first name basis!

That $3000 will cost you $120 on April 15th, since we are only charged the basic state rate of 3.9% on out of state purchases that don't have a presence in Colorado. Mike's on the other hand will 8.6% or so depending on which of their locations you purchase at. Mike's is good, but depending on who is waiting on you will dictate the reception you get when asking for a price match.

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Feb 10, 2018 11:42:01   #
pendennis
 
BobHartung wrote:
Ok so I have not read through all five pages of comments (so far), but I wonder
1. If we all go back to the local camera shop (as we can no longer avoid sales tax by ordering out of state) what will our choices be. If no one shop B&H does anyone think that they will continue to host a web site that really demonstrates the wide variety of gear available?

2. If B&H (and others) are going to play the letter game, maybe we should just boycott them until they collect the taxes at the time of sale. Leave it up to them to remit the taxes to the state. I'm sure there is some smart programmer who can come up with a way to assess proper sales taxes with the state and local sales taxes figured in. For instance he could set up a method for the states and local entities to enter their sales taxes (and update them) into the calculation program.

3. Just how many good camera store would we really have? I mean with really knowledgeable sales people. Except for a few high population states, I would guess not many per state.

Just some thoughts. Personally I always thought the inability to properly collect taxes was due the laziness and gutlessness of our elected reps.

Just my $0.02
Ok so I have not read through all five pages of co... (show quote)


1. B&H, Cameta, Amazon, Adorama, et al, have the ability to warehouse, but ship just in time to handle order fulfillment. Even in the pre-etail days, the local shops often didn't have things in inventory when you wanted a particular item. They couldn't then, or now, afford to floor plan the inventory. Added to that, the locals paid more for stock, since they bought in far lesser quantities. B&H, et al, can afford to eat quite a bit of cost before they lose their inherent quantitative edges.

2. Calculating appropriate sales tax amounts is a fairly easy task for a programmer, depending on the system involved. However, the question becomes, why should the etail store voluntarily collect sales tax, and remit to podunk city or county? That adds overhead to their operations and eventually causes prices to rise. You're entering the world of tax laws here, and unless a Federal law was enacted, stores without a brick and mortar presence in another state aren't just going to up their costs of sales to satisfy the politicians of another taxing jurisdiction. This isn't a moral issue, it's political; big difference.

3. Agreed. Try finding the shoe clerk at Best Buy to tell you the advantage of a Canon over Nikon (without spending 20 minutes looking up specs). I can, and do my own research. So, by the time I get to the point of sale it's only a matter of handing over the cash. And even at the dedicated camera shops, there are still a lot of people behind the counters who don't do much more than process the transaction. Local doesn't always mean better.

Lastly, your final comment is spot on. The pols cater to the worst of the citizenry in order to stay in power. Giving bennies to them helps accomplish that.

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Feb 10, 2018 11:49:20   #
papakatz45 Loc: South Florida-West Palm Beach
 
Jakebrake wrote:
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.
I have been a B&H customer for many years, and... (show quote)


So your upset that you are no longer breaking the law and now have to pay required sales tax?

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Feb 10, 2018 11:51:24   #
papakatz45 Loc: South Florida-West Palm Beach
 
Jakebrake wrote:
Your opinion is valid, however being retired and not born with a silver spoon in my mouth I have to be frugal with my hobby funds and a close to 9% sales tax, that is substantial on a major purchase. Nuff said, I will now be a Mike's Camera customer. Thank you.


And you will now pay the 9% sales tax.

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Feb 10, 2018 11:55:49   #
SteveR Loc: Michigan
 
I guess I've been a schmuck all along. I've always bought from Arlington Camera and paid the sales tax. However, as a result I also know a salesperson who knows Nikon cameras inside and out, and is also a photographer. If I ever run into a problem I'm able to call him. It's also worth it to keep one of the last real professional camera stores around up and running. I've rented equipment from there, as well. One of the reasons that there aren't many professional camera stores left is that everybody has wanted to avoid paying sales tax.

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Feb 10, 2018 12:00:51   #
artBob Loc: Near Chicago
 
chaman wrote:
How high is that horse?


Social fabric is important. If honest citizens cannot criticize bad behavior (like complaining that you are caught out taking tax money from the rest of us), we are in trouble.

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Feb 10, 2018 12:01:40   #
hangman45 Loc: Hueytown Alabama
 
PhotosBySteve wrote:
I don't understand how you can fault B&H for your failure to file proper taxes. I would be very cautious about how you and others in this thread are admitting to tax evasion. Anyone can be turned on for tax evasion by anyone and they can receive reward. If I we're one of those in your shoes, I would be amending my returns immediately.


This coming from someone in a state that dont even have a sales tax

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Feb 10, 2018 12:06:16   #
Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.
 
Gotta say, I find that it is NOT the sales tax that is the major issue for me, rather the better price based on the volume of sales & purchases the big internet sellers can pass on to customers. A $70.00 camera case that sells for 39.00 on Amazon is not due to taxes...

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Feb 10, 2018 12:07:25   #
Larryshuman
 
Also all brick and mortar stores must pay a inventory property tax. So thats why no one has a good inventory ( one camera store) and has to order the item at the point of sale. Then you would be charges 7.5% sales tax (in Ohio) and end up waiting 2 weeks for your new camera or lens. I agree that the tax money paid to local government is a waste of funds. I receive absolutely nothing from the local government that I just paid 7.5% sales tax to.

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Feb 10, 2018 12:09:33   #
Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA
 
To sum up what I am reading on this post it appears that their is such confusion about sales tax that no one knows what to do.
The IRS collects tax from most American's and then starves the states. And then a state like PA starves parts of the states politically.
The schools of their major cities in PA have not gotten what they need from the state back. Our current government is after school lunches
for very poor children. They just borrowed debt for trillions to advance tax relief for the very richest people. And they will be coming
for SS and medicare reductions soon. Tax should go to our states and our country for what we really need.

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Feb 10, 2018 12:10:32   #
Shutterbug57
 
OP - Did you really go on a web site and tell the world you intend to violate the law. You do realize your state can see your post and that privacy on the web does not exist - right?

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Feb 10, 2018 12:10:56   #
BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA
 
Dngallagher wrote:
Gotta say, I find that it is NOT the sales tax that is the major issue for me, rather the better price based on the volume of sales & purchases the big internet sellers can pass on to customers. A $70.00 camera case that sells for 39.00 on Amazon is not due to taxes...


Yes but big ticket items are all sold at MSRP. So no savings in base price there.

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Feb 10, 2018 12:15:24   #
gpman
 
buy from adorama!

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