Roger Said:

Do I have to pay sales tax everytime I buy things off the internet because I applied for a state sales tax id?

We Answered:

The only legitimate purpose for obtaining a Sales Tax Number from a state taxing authority is if you plan on selling items to the public. Then you can purchase an item without paying the sales tax on the item because you are going to be collecting the sales tax from YOUR customer and then submitting it to your state taxing authority.

Are you in business to sell items to the public? If not, then you have obtained your ID number fraudulently and are subject to any penalties or prosecution your state taxing authority may wish to impose. If you ARE in busines to sell items to the public, then most anyone who you might wish to purchase items from "tax-free" will be asking you for your Tax ID Number. This can be either an Employer Identification Number [EIN] or your Social Security Number [SSN]. I would strongly suggest getting an EIN for this purpose instead of having your SSN float around out there. You might want to read Publication 1635 - Understanding your EIN from the IRS. Click the first link below to pull up an Adobe copy you can save or print as you need.

You can obtain an EIN online at the IRS website. The process only takes a matter of minutes. Click the second link to visit the IRS webpage that begins the process.

G'Luck...


Mike Womack, Sr. Partner
Zero Degrees Tax LLP
Moore, OK
Lawton, OK

Jorge Said:

Can any one tell me if the same rule apply for taxes for sales thru the internet as your local taxes.?

We Answered:

If your selling candles over the internet the sales tax will be based on where the person lives and if there state has sales tax.

Wesley Said:

Do I have to charge sales tax for an internet business in Washington state, USA?

We Answered:

You are required to collect sales tax in states that you have nexus. Since you reside in Washington, you will only need to collect sales tax for items shipped to Washington. Any goods shipped out of the state will not be taxed. Instead, the purchaser will have to pay use tax, which most people never will.

BTW, don't forget you have to pay B&O (business & occupation) tax in Washington.

Mabel Said:

What do you think about how when companies do business over the internet (selling) they don't pay sales tax?

We Answered:

Companies that buy stuff over the internet may not pay sales tax, but they are supposed to pay use tax. Use tax is the complement to sales tax, so the states will always get their revenues.

People are also supposed to pay use tax when they buy stuff online, but most people don't bother and it's practically unenforcable.

If people and companies paid their taxes right, then your argument is a moot point, since the tax will be collected by a state. Sales tax revenues are huge for states that do collect sales tax. Don't forget that there are 5 states that don't have sales tax. In these cases, they usually have higher income or property taxes to make up the difference.

I don't think it makes a difference for "upscale citizens," because if they make more, they pay more in income taxes; they also probably own property, so they'll pay more in property taxes; they're also spending more, so they'll pay more in sales taxes.

Alfred Said:

Just adding on to my question on sales tax and internet sales?

We Answered:

Is your publisher located in GA as well? When a company sells a product that is subject to sales tax, they must charge sales tax to any sales where the location of the buyer is in the same state as the seller has a business (nexus). Amazon is not collecting sales tax from you probably because they do not have any offices in GA.

Crystal Said:

Do internet biased businesses have to file Sales and Use Tax in their state?

We Answered:

You will need to collect sales tax in California since that is where your business has a physical address.

You don't need to worry about any other state as long as you don't have an ad posted on another website where you pay the commissions for any sales made because of that ad,