Washington State tax when guns shipped from out of state?

[Dr59860]

Picked up a gun I bought from Kentucky and found out Washington state requires FFL's to collect tax, similar to when you buy a used car from someone. The FFL pulled up the website of the manufacturer and used the retail price to establish the base for the tax. I couldn't really argue or dispute this, but it seemed like I was getting taxed on top of the tax. Has anyone had any experience with this in Washington state? It almost felt like it was a scam of sorts by the FFL.

 

[Supersubes]

Cant speak for Washington, but California does this as well. Total BS.

 

[6point5CM]

Always been that way! On a fancy custom, I actually ship it to an Oregon FFL and drive down to pickup in OR as they have no sales tax. You can only do this for rifles however, pistols you have to purchase in your resident state. You are correct, in that you get zero say. I've even jammed up bill of sales with the seller to make the tax easier, and they still look up the components and tax based on value. I'm fortunate I'm military and we have FFL's on post now, so I can do that and not pay tax. It can add up on a nice gun quick with tax though! You got scammed alright...but by this liberal POS of a state, not by the FFL.

 

[_Windrider_]

What kind of tax? Sales tax?

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Washington state just implemented some sort of E-Commerce sales tax on online orders and it's high too. I own an online retail business and do a lot of business on Amazon and that's where I noticed it. Amazon is automatically adding the tax onto my customers orders Washington state completely beyond my control, I'm only setup to collect from buyers in my state so it appears WA is targeting the large merchants.

The way most states are, you're technically supposed to track and pay tax on stuff purchased online, nobody does though and its on the end user not the merchant so long as the buyer isn't located in the retailers state.

 

[TheGerman]

Cuck tax

 

[6point5CM]

What kind of tax? Sales tax?

Yes, sales tax.

 

[_Windrider_]

Yes, sales tax.

I would fight that. You can’t charge sales tax on what the MSRP is. Sales tax is based on what you paid. Get a bill of sale for 1 dollar. The exception to this is cars boats and airplanes. There is usually a special carve out for these.

 

[Dr59860]

What I didn't mention is that the FFL didn't record any data on any type of form that I could see. And he then said go to Olympia...they might give you your money back if you can prove he paid sales tax already in Kentucky? What??

 

[Dr59860]

I would fight that. You can’t charge sales tax on what the MSRP is. Sales tax is based on what you paid. Get a bill of sale for 1 dollar. The exception to this is cars boats and airplanes. There is usually a special carve out for these.

I kinda wanted to push back, but I wanted the damn rifle in my hands, not sitting in his shop. Had I pissed him off, he could have pulled any number of stunts to delay getting me the rifle.

 

[Dr59860]

On one hand, its good for Washington retailers but what a crock if your Joe Smith trying to ship a gun from say a family member from out of state

 

[_Windrider_]

On one hand, its good for Washington retailers but what a crock if your Joe Smith trying to ship a gun from say a family member from out of state

Taxation is theft.

 

[Dr59860]

Off topic, but I heard that Germans under 30 get taxed something like 60%. WTF???

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Get a bill of sale for 1 dollar.

Sounds like a great way to catch a felony for tax evasion and never buy a firearm again. Not worth it. I agree on going off of MSRP being BS but unless a invoice is included then what else do they use?

 

[SharpsNitro]

That’s the law in Washington, you didn’t get scammed. Nine or ten years ago the bureaucrats were searching the sofa cushions for more revenue and started collecting this. I think it was on the books previously but wasn’t enforced. Best to have seller include an invoice with what you paid or the dealer will have to estimate a price like they did for you.

The dealer I used would always make a copy of the invoice for their records. As mentioned, doing something like a $1 invoice will get likely get you laughed at.

 

[308pirate]

Fuck Washington

 

[6point5CM]

Sounds like a great way to catch a felony for tax evasion and never buy a firearm again. Not worth it. I agree on going off of MSRP being BS but unless a invoice is included then what else do they use?

For me a they went off MSRP of the components, but no labor. So they looked up action, barrel, stock, trigger, etc... Thats when I shipped it to OR! Luckily I asked before it was shipped as I knew they collected sales tax. The FFL I was utilizing said a bill of sale didn't matter, but an invoice would be sufficient. Without an invoice, they assess value themselves.

 

[6point5CM]

What I didn't mention is that the FFL didn't record any data on any type of form that I could see. And he then said go to Olympia...they might give you your money back if you can prove he paid sales tax already in Kentucky? What??

Did he say KY or WA? If you can prove someone already paid WA sales tax, you're good to go. If I sold you a gun and we went to the FFl for a transfer for example, I already paid sales tax on my invoice, and you don't pay it again. I've done with with local purchases. I couldn't see them accepting another states tax, as they aren't getting their cut? Someone is probably savvy enough or a FFL owner on here that can pipe up.

 

[Threadcutter308]

Fuck Washington

Yes, as a born and raised resident, fuck Washington.

 

[abarth]

It is call a Use Tax. Other states has them too, just not enforced. Yes, Washington FFL suppose to collect them for out of state firearm sales. https://dor.wa.gov/find-taxes-rates/use-tax

 

[j741]

This should only apply to purchases shipped directly from a retailer to your FFL. If a family member is sending you a firearm then there should be no tax levied on it. But the FFL will need documentation for their records.

All told, it's a pretty shitty law.

 

[pell1203]

Its been this way in WA since 2011.

HERE is a link to the Firearms Special Notice put out by the Washington Department of Revenue explaining implementation and reporting requirements.

 

[eff10mm]

Simple work around for this. You can buy long guns in neighboring states. Have it shipped to Oregon and do the transfer there. It was super easy when I lived in the Tri-Cities. I just went down to Hermiston, OR. The dealers there are used to selling long guns to WA residents.

 

[lead ƒarmer]

Simple work around for this. You can buy long guns in neighboring states. Have it shipped to Oregon and do the transfer there. It was super easy when I lived in the Tri-Cities. I just went down to Hermiston, OR. The dealers there are used to selling long guns to WA residents.

This is exactly what I do. Works great!

 

[Sheldon N]

This is exactly what I do. Works great!

Yep. Just can't ship a bare receiver to Oregon if you're an out of state resident.

 

[lead ƒarmer]

Yep. Just can't ship a bare receiver to Oregon if you're an out of state resident.

I figured that out the hard way on my first action only order haha.

 

[alfack]

Washington is fucked, thanks to shitbirds like Jay Inslee, Maria Cantwell, Patti Murray, Bill Gates and Jeff Bozos. I bought a new truck in Idaho for $25k, after $5k incentive discount and $5k manufacturers rebate. Mother fuckers charged me taxes on $30k, instead of $25k. Total bullshit.

 

[j741]

Simple work around for this. You can buy long guns in neighboring states. Have it shipped to Oregon and do the transfer there. It was super easy when I lived in the Tri-Cities. I just went down to Hermiston, OR. The dealers there are used to selling long guns to WA residents.

I've heard other people say they had long waits for the check from OR and that they had to make two trips to get the rifle. one to do paperwork that then resulted in a wait and then the 2nd trip, usually at least 30 days later, to get the rifle.

 

[TmisterE]

Really hate this but that's the way it is in Wa. been doing it for a long time, I am a Washington native born here and lived here all my life, used to be really proud to say that but not so much anymore. With the liberal left now in the majority in all parts of government in Olympia we are screwed, there are multiple "common sense gun control bills" going thru Olympia they are all a bunch of scumbags with the worst being our AG Bob Ferguson, he should be ran out of office and told to shut the fuck up. I am seriously considering moving to Idaho.

 

[jet_lagged]

Tax should be based on your purchase price if you are buying from an out of state dealer.


But if an individual ships to the dealer, so your dealer is not receiving it from another business, then your dealer can just charge you whatever his transfer fee is.