Buying local or from B&H or Adorama
Mar 17, 2019 09:27:43 #
I wish I could support a local quality store but those days are long gone. The support they used to give was invaluable to me. B+H is a great merchant and as recently stated will have to charge sales tax in the very near future. Penny pinching on the tax is the wrong approach IMHO. If your local store has good customer service, that is a value much bigger then the tax. Good luck.
WJH
WJH
Mar 17, 2019 09:28:23 #
B&H reports the sale to state, so California will “know” you bought the camera. I can’t speak for Adorama. The base sales tax in California is 6% with local taxes added to make up the tax you pay at a local retailer. Maybe I’m a rarity, but I keep track of most things I or my wife purchase where we didn’t pay tax. Colorado’s base rate is 2.9% with locals adding on as much as 5%. Come Apr 15th, I declare the total cost of items purchased where I wasn’t charged sales (use) tax. For those items, Colorado “only” hits me up for the base 2.9% use tax. If you do your own taxes and have Turbo Tax or H&R laying around, run some numbers and see what happens. Or if you use a preparer, call him/her and ask.
Mar 17, 2019 09:36:55 #
Zario
Loc: sacramento, CA
Yeah - thanks. Supporting local is important to me if they can deliver value and service consistently. And I will continue to support them and their families. That being said I am not unaware of being connected to a larger world and what that offers.
As Andy said to me...let my conscience be my guide. Thanks to all.
As Andy said to me...let my conscience be my guide. Thanks to all.
Mar 17, 2019 09:39:43 #
dbaird2495 wrote:
With the online competition, local vendors are having trouble staying in business. They also have to sell other things like computers, drones and non-photography items to stay in business. That's why I buy locally. I don't want to lose that photography advice and the opportunity to try before I buy.
I always check first with our local store YM Camera for every purchase large or small. Great service and expertise. If they don’t have the item they can usually get it in a week. Because of price fixing by the manufacturers most prices are the same, local or online. Don’t mind paying sales tax, part of it goes to the local tax base. I try to buy locally, keeps my money on town.
Mar 17, 2019 09:44:55 #
Zario
Loc: sacramento, CA
Correct. They let me put my hands on a dozen brands over a period of several months without pushing me to buy a thing and were always pleasant and helpful even when they saw me back for the 20th time and figured I would never buy anything. Thanks
Mar 17, 2019 09:52:26 #
NBBPH
Loc: Indiana
Simple - buy at my local camera store - always have always will. Great folks with the knowledge and willingness to help: Roberts Camera - Indianapolis and Carmel, Indiana.
Mar 17, 2019 09:57:32 #
NCMtnMan
Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC
Might want to recheck about sales tax collection. By law now, if a state charges sales tax, then the seller has to collect sales tax. They are doing it for others now.
Mar 17, 2019 10:01:47 #
LarryFitz wrote:
For me B&H and Adorama are a train ride (some what local) away and charge me tax.
The state that you live in charges you tax. No store charges you tax.
Mar 17, 2019 10:09:19 #
Zario
Loc: sacramento, CA
Appreciate your response. Yeah, busted. I am a bit of a worry wart. I like to see, touch,feel and hold. Several of my friends are veteran photographers and also swear by B&H, etc. I am new in dealing with the online world of shopping and technology and I have never been very hospitable to each other.
Every one has their own pace and mine is rather slow at times.
Every one has their own pace and mine is rather slow at times.
Mar 17, 2019 10:14:09 #
Zario
Loc: sacramento, CA
My understanding is that online sales tax will be collected by California beginning April 15. Paying state taxes doesn't bother me. Every state could use all the revenue it is legally entitled to. Thank you for your response.
Mar 17, 2019 10:19:56 #
Zario
Loc: sacramento, CA
Yeah. That's the point. We're all local to someplace. Who knows what affect supporting other places / states will have on own environment. They need work also.
Mar 17, 2019 10:25:31 #
Mar 17, 2019 10:28:10 #
Buy local you say.
I will buy local when informed sales people are courteous and available to help make an informed decision rather than push an expensive sale, when the store is stocked decently with other than what you can buy in a big box store (which is very basic), when the price is near or equal to Internet sales and when the return policy matches online. Paying sales tax is not a deal breaker for me however all of the aforementioned things are. Probably sounds harsh but I am all for supporting local if they earn my business.
And one other thing- my experience with local is they have a store full of Nikon and Canon but try to find Olympus, Pentax, Fuji, Panasonic, etc - near impossible.
I will buy local when informed sales people are courteous and available to help make an informed decision rather than push an expensive sale, when the store is stocked decently with other than what you can buy in a big box store (which is very basic), when the price is near or equal to Internet sales and when the return policy matches online. Paying sales tax is not a deal breaker for me however all of the aforementioned things are. Probably sounds harsh but I am all for supporting local if they earn my business.
And one other thing- my experience with local is they have a store full of Nikon and Canon but try to find Olympus, Pentax, Fuji, Panasonic, etc - near impossible.
Mar 17, 2019 10:33:26 #
You will not have a problem dealing with either B&H or Adorama, but I would not go with buying Gray market.
One other thing, I live in WA state and B&H and Adorama are now including sales tax. So you can just make your purchase with our local camera store, this will also help them stay in business.
One other thing, I live in WA state and B&H and Adorama are now including sales tax. So you can just make your purchase with our local camera store, this will also help them stay in business.
Mar 17, 2019 10:40:11 #
Bazbo
Loc: Lisboa, Portugal
Zario wrote:
I've finally decided to buy the Fuji X-T3 w/18-55m... (show quote)
I have had very good service from B&H.
As for the sales tax, you owe it whether the online retailer collects it or not. Having said that, this is a tax dodge that is pretty easy to get away with. Whether you pay your taxes or not is, of course, up to you. The Franchise Tax Board is very unlikely to catch you.
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