I actually don’t mind paying their taxes. It’s still a drastic jump in the selection of what’s available. I like my local B&M but they don’t have a serious selection of tobaccos.
Tax Warning
- Thread starter krizzose
- Start date
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
BTW, Louisiana is one of the states that has entered into a compact with a number of other southern and mid west states, to cross track and report on online tobacco sales to consumers.
If the tax collected includes the excise tax, you're good. If not, you may be in for a surprise.
I don’t think any of us is going to forget about the guy who died for selling a cigarette on a New York City street corner...
I just mailed myself some tobacco to my sister’s out of state, because I’m visiting. So it’s from me, to me and for my own consumption. They can’t hassle me over that, can they?
I just mailed myself some tobacco to my sister’s out of state, because I’m visiting. So it’s from me, to me and for my own consumption. They can’t hassle me over that, can they?
It's about sales. So if you didn't sell some tobacco to yourself before shipping it to your sister, or your sister didn't buy some tobacco from you for you to ship to yourself, there shouldn't be any problem.
About what I thought. So I’m cool.
27 years in the USPS and it would have been the first time that I’d ever heard that you couldn’t mail yourself a legal substance that you already owned!
27 years in the USPS and it would have been the first time that I’d ever heard that you couldn’t mail yourself a legal substance that you already owned!
The states that are part of the interstate compact referenced by Sablebrush (and me, earlier in this thread I think and certainly elsewhere when this topic has come up) all have underlying tax statutes that treat RYO, or pipe tobacco that is in reality used for roll your own cigarettes, as only one “other tobacco product” (OTP);. That _ perceived_ “loophole” is a whole different kettle of fish. Thus my “RYO per se” usage. In any event, it does not strike me that Top Hat really emphasizes that market to the same extent others (Windy City Cigar comes to mind) do.
The use tax issue does not effect me as I live in a state that has virtually eliminated the requirement to file a state income tax return unless you have a bunch more interest and dividend income than I do, but the question about out of state purchases was asked in years before the law was changed. Again, a different issue, though come enforcement time you would likely be billed for both the OTP and the use tax if, like Louisiana apparently, your state knew some of your out of state purchases included OTP
The exact membership of the states in the referenced compact is unknown to me. I used to know the name of the damn thing and could have found this information out from that, but age has taken its toll on my memory. I believe I know the identity of a few states that are not, but that information is based on a discussion I had almost 3 years ago and could have changed.
At the present time, based on my state’s laws in force at this writing, the much feared universal collection of all sales taxes from out of state sellers of anything, wherever based, is a long way from happening for reasons that are too complicated to even begin to go into. There does not seem to be any discernible momentum for a “Federal fix” which many have hoped for. Once you dive into the weeds, this is a topic that is incredibly complicated, even more so than has been written about in detailed stories in places like the Wall Street Journal. Too bad I am retired
.
The use tax issue does not effect me as I live in a state that has virtually eliminated the requirement to file a state income tax return unless you have a bunch more interest and dividend income than I do, but the question about out of state purchases was asked in years before the law was changed. Again, a different issue, though come enforcement time you would likely be billed for both the OTP and the use tax if, like Louisiana apparently, your state knew some of your out of state purchases included OTP
The exact membership of the states in the referenced compact is unknown to me. I used to know the name of the damn thing and could have found this information out from that, but age has taken its toll on my memory. I believe I know the identity of a few states that are not, but that information is based on a discussion I had almost 3 years ago and could have changed.
At the present time, based on my state’s laws in force at this writing, the much feared universal collection of all sales taxes from out of state sellers of anything, wherever based, is a long way from happening for reasons that are too complicated to even begin to go into. There does not seem to be any discernible momentum for a “Federal fix” which many have hoped for. Once you dive into the weeds, this is a topic that is incredibly complicated, even more so than has been written about in detailed stories in places like the Wall Street Journal. Too bad I am retired
.
Be aware, too, that the Feds have started looking at imported pipes. A friend recently shared a story of a huge bill he received for duty on a fine pipe he had ordered. I believe he said it was something instituted this year.
The duty on imported new pipes used to be a minimal amount, like 3% or so of the value on the shippers pro forma invoice. Federal Express sometimes adds a flat processing fee. About 1/3 of the pipes I have ordered from Italy have been followed by a credit card charge of a few bucks for import duty. I have never been hit with the FedEx flat charge, but a friend has. Some pipes that have escaped duty were more expensive than ones that were charged it. All had full value customs paperwork. This has been a consistent pattern since I first started dealing with Italian sellers decades ago. Strangely, Dunhills I purchased in at least 5 separate transactions with Barber back in the late 1990’s all incurred duties, but 3% or so was nothing compared to the savings.
I went large on some Rattray's 250g bags there a while back; I wonder if my letter will arrive next week.
MI law seems to have been written with the intent to go after cigarettes (in 2005, MI imposed a tax of $2/pack, and so many people didn't want to pay it and sought cigs elsewhere; a pack of cigarettes here is $7, which is what I once paid for a carton of Marlboros back in the day), but the wording is ''cigarettes and other tobacco products.'' What a surprise, a gov't agency expanding its reach/intent because it can.
MI law seems to have been written with the intent to go after cigarettes (in 2005, MI imposed a tax of $2/pack, and so many people didn't want to pay it and sought cigs elsewhere; a pack of cigarettes here is $7, which is what I once paid for a carton of Marlboros back in the day), but the wording is ''cigarettes and other tobacco products.'' What a surprise, a gov't agency expanding its reach/intent because it can.
This is news to me but I’ll admit to being fully ignorant when it comes to taxes, I just pay what they force me to pay, nothing more nothing less.
Pay what you owe, nothing more and that includes penalties incurred through ignorance. Get informed and pay the minimum, skip the penalties.
I have received 2 Letters this year from NJ Tax..$31 and $35 I owed. They had 2 invoices which I cannot cross reference to the purchases. I would like to know who is reporting this so I can stop buying from them.
- Status