California Use Tax: this is another reason this state sucks

Dean · Feb 26, 2004

Anyone here from California paid their taxes yet? Wait until you get to line 37 on your state tax form and it asks you for your Use Tax.

Essentially, anything you buy from another state or COUNTRY is subject to the California Use Tax. So that $2000 flat screen you got from Florida? Cali wants $170 for that, thank you very much. That big shipment of MVS games you got from China? That'll be 8.25% my friend. Oh, and all those eBay purchases? Yeah, have fun.

Check it out here for a good laugh.

I really hate California sometimes. The morons in this state elect yet another actor as governor. No one can drive. And now they want to tax the hell out of the residents since they can't manage a damn budget. Oh, and education is at the bottom of all states.

*longs for a return to the east coast*

Syxx573 · Feb 26, 2004

Unless you have no choice then why stay? There are 49 other states out there.

Or you could just avoid paying your taxes.

FeelGood · Feb 26, 2004

wow...

and you wonder why all the hollywood stars claim residency in Europe...

BlackSpy · Feb 26, 2004

Meh, you don't know you're living.

I have to pay 20% plus £15 ($37 or so) lump sum for everything bought from outside the country.

Dean · Feb 26, 2004

I ain't got much choice on region. The wife's family lives here. Also the hotbed of biotech, so I'm more or less stuck.

And despite what many people think, they do not pay people much more since they live in a high-cost-of-living area. Definitely not enough more to compensate for the costs. Ugh.

Yeah, John, and europeans pay about $5 /gallon for gas. But California is about $2.20 now too. Even with oil-man Bush in office.

RabbitTroop · Feb 26, 2004

For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2003, if you made a purchase from an out-of-state or Internet seller and did not pay California use tax, you may be eligible to report the California use tax on your personal income tax return.

Gee.... and all I bought was this $25 book... here's my $2, suck my dick

-Nick

Chicago Cheeseburgler Crew · Feb 26, 2004

I work for a warranty company and yesterday we had a training course on California regulations. There is one set of rules for 49 states and then there is one set of silly rules that only apply to California because they say so.

BlackSpy · Feb 26, 2004

D-Lite said:
I ain't got much choice on region. The wife's family lives here. Also the hotbed of biotech, so I'm more or less stuck.

And despite what many people think, they do not pay people much more since they live in a high-cost-of-living area. Definitely not enough more to compensate for the costs. Ugh.

Yeah, John, and europeans pay about $5 /gallon for gas. But California is about $2.20 now too. Even with oil-man Bush in office.

$5? Maybe ten years ago.

Howdoin · Feb 26, 2004

D-Lite said:
Anyone here from California paid their taxes yet? Wait until you get to line 37 on your state tax form and it asks you for your Use Tax.

Essentially, anything you buy from another state or COUNTRY is subject to the California Use Tax. So that $2000 flat screen you got from Florida? Cali wants $170 for that, thank you very much. That big shipment of MVS games you got from China? That'll be 8.25% my friend. Oh, and all those eBay purchases? Yeah, have fun.

Check it out here for a good laugh.

I really hate California sometimes. The morons in this state elect yet another actor as governor. No one can drive. And now they want to tax the hell out of the residents since they can't manage a damn budget. Oh, and education is at the bottom of all states.

*longs for a return to the east coast*

The tax actually exists in most 50 states. They are not gonna bother you with $50 ebay purchases however they will try to check on people who bought expensive things like flat screen TVs and laptops over the internet (I believe they will ask online retailers for information on who bought over $2000 or something like that).

As the tax is new you can actually nto declare and claim ignorance, be carefull however as they might let you go easy if you are a mechanic but if you work for H&R Block you'll get big penalties for "not knowing" about line 37

Its your call.

Dean · Feb 26, 2004

I figure the best bet is to claim an approx amount since claiming anything will most likely get you off the hook. Especially in the first year of the tax as you mention. Most states have some kind of law, but the "internet tax" was something I thought all businesses were seriously lobbying against since it'll kill a lot of business on-line.

How much is gas/gallon in the UK these days?

galfordo · Feb 26, 2004

Good lord I'm so glad I didn't stay in that place. I just don't understand the appeal - all the extra taxes and extra hassle, and for what?

FeelGood · Feb 26, 2004

D-Lite said:
I figure the best bet is to claim an approx amount since claiming anything will most likely get you off the hook. Especially in the first year of the tax as you mention. Most states have some kind of law, but the "internet tax" was something I thought all businesses were seriously lobbying against since it'll kill a lot of business on-line.

How much is gas/gallon in the UK these days?

Why claim anything? Can you believe that there are people in California who never buy stuff from out of state?

I mean, they can't really prove you bought stuff for yourself.

if you claim anything, the light goes on and they will pay more attention to your file.

BlackSpy · Feb 26, 2004

EvilWasabi said:
Why claim anything? Can you believe that there are people in California who never buy stuff from out of state?

I mean, they can't really prove you bought stuff for yourself.

if you claim anything, the light goes on and they will pay more attention to your file.

I agree, you'll forever have a flag next to your name saying 'can work a computer'.

I'd ignore it.

Petrol is around $6.50 to $7.00 a gallon I think. I drive very little though so I never really take much interest in the price, I'm all about public transport

BeefJerky · Feb 26, 2004

D-Lite said:
Oh, and education is at the bottom of all states.

*longs for a return to the east coast*

Nah I think Alabama and Mississippi have worse public schools than Cali.

BlackSpy · Feb 26, 2004

Re: Re: California Use Tax: this is another reason this state sucks

BeefJerky said:
Nah I think Alabama and Mississippi have worse public schools than Cali.

They have school in Alabama now? my my.

galfordo · Feb 26, 2004

Re: Re: California Use Tax: this is another reason this state sucks

BeefJerky said:
Nah I think Alabama and Mississippi have worse public schools than Cali.

Don't forget my wonderful home state of Louisiana

!

Anyway, the public school in CA are a little rough, but the colleges/universities out there are top notch.

Dean · Feb 26, 2004

I couple of years ago the California educational system was ranked dead last at 50th. Yep. Yes, there are some good colleges, but believe that ranking was based on public schools and maybe not including college. So in other words, the kids from this state are morons but we (well, "they") import smart people. :rolleyes:

Bluevoodu · Feb 26, 2004

D-Lite said:
Anyone here from California paid their taxes yet? Wait until you get to line 37 on your state tax form and it asks you for your Use Tax.

Essentially, anything you buy from another state or COUNTRY is subject to the California Use Tax. So that $2000 flat screen you got from Florida? Cali wants $170 for that, thank you very much. That big shipment of MVS games you got from China? That'll be 8.25% my friend. Oh, and all those eBay purchases? Yeah, have fun.

Check it out here for a good laugh.

I really hate California sometimes. The morons in this state elect yet another actor as governor. No one can drive. And now they want to tax the hell out of the residents since they can't manage a damn budget. Oh, and education is at the bottom of all states.

*longs for a return to the east coast*

thats funny actually... only businesses here have to pay that.
I'd be ticked to see that on my personal return.

†B†V†

aria · Feb 26, 2004

Cough-cough... these lines (on many different state tax forms) are on the honor system. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

Ironically enough, I know this because they were talking about it on NPR this morning as I was heading to school -they had a state tax official concede it on the air.

galfordo · Feb 26, 2004

D-Lite said:
I couple of years ago the California educational system was ranked dead last at 50th. Yep. Yes, there are some good colleges, but believe that ranking was based on public schools and maybe not including college. So in other words, the kids from this state are morons but we (well, "they") import smart people.

LOL .... yeah, that's about right. But some states have to send their own morons to college, since they can't afford to import smart kids.

I'm not sure how CA's schools got to be so bad, and I probably shouldn't even take a stab at it. Anybody got any ideas?

Dean · Feb 26, 2004

galfordo said:
LOL .... yeah, that's about right. But some states have to send their own morons to college, since they can't afford to import smart kids.

I'm not sure how CA's schools got to be so bad, and I probably shouldn't even take a stab at it. Anybody got any ideas?

Actually one the reasons is pretty simple. LOTS of people with english as a 2nd language. California has a huge hispanic population and also a large asian population. Many of the test results are skewed due to the poor performance resulting from a language barrier. California actually spends a large amount (per capita) on education, but it's hard to teach across such a wide variation of backgrounds and cultures.

Still, last?

galfordo · Feb 26, 2004

D-Lite said:
Actually one the reasons is pretty simple. LOTS of people with english as a 2nd language. California has a huge hispanic population and also a large asian population. Many of the test results are skewed due to the poor performance resulting from a language barrier. California actually spends a large amount (per capita) on education, but it's hard to teach across such a wide variation of backgrounds and cultures.

Still, last?

Yeah, I was kinda thinkin' that might be the case, but didn't wanna come off like a racist asshole. Makes perfect sense, anyway - you can't be everything to everybody.

I guess being last just reflects the severity of that problem.

California Use Tax: this is another reason this state sucks

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