I know that residents of Oregon, New Hampshire, Delaware, Montana & Alaska have 0% sales tax for goods and services and can apply to have it rescinded when they’re out of their states upon them visiting one that has ST (with valid ID to prove residence). But does that privilege carry over for international purchases, in this case, all goods are priced in ¥ from the seller as they’re based in Japan.

For example, when buying a new video game console & physical game combined is ¥71,960 ($455) which heads to a warehouse first (owned by a forwarding agent in Japan, since the seller doesn’t ship across borders) then shipping costs are calculated separately (like would it cost $40 to ship from Yokohama to Oregon). The thing is, can you still pay 0% ST since the item is not only out of state, but abroad?

The same counterpart in US (even 0% ST) is $590 MSRP via a official retailer (it’s more expensive when paying ST) if you’ve bought the console and game (you’ve saved ~$135 when buying either from out of state). Shipping across borders always costs money but the item itself costs less than buying within state just because of region pricing. Although, would that alone guarantee that you’re not paying any ST?

  • DomeGuy@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    That is such a bizarre and wonky scheme in the Great State of Washington it almost makes me believe my mom when she says “New York is the best run state I’ve ever lived in.”

    I wonder how much of that is due to the old “no tax on the internet” loophole that helped Amazon get so big…