Heritage Auctions and sales tax

Pennsylvania doesn't collect sales tax on coins. Heritage is based in Texas.

Heritage can't charge me sales tax if they don't have a "presence" in my state, right?

(I bought something directly from them before and I was not charged sales tax...)

I thought I was okay for this current auction, but then I saw a note about sales tax:

"Lots delivered to you, or your representative are subject to all applicable state and local taxes, unless appropriate permits are on file with Auctioneer. Bidder agrees to pay Auctioneer the actual amount of tax due in the event that sales tax is not properly collected due to: 1) an expired, inaccurate, or inappropriate tax certificate or declaration, 2) an incorrect interpretation of the applicable statute, 3) or any other reason. The appropriate form or certificate must be on file at and verified by Auctioneer five days prior to Auction, or tax must be paid; only if such form or certificate is received by Auctioneer within 4 days after the Auction can a refund of tax paid be made. Lots from different Auctions may not be aggregated for sales tax purposes.

Note: You will be billed for sales tax unless you have the appropriate documentation on file at and verified by Heritage five days prior to the auction. This documentation consists of a Resale Form (download now) and a legible copy of your state issued license or permit issued in your name and/ or the name of the business for an appropriately related category of merchandise. If you do not have this documentation on file with Heritage, you have 14 days from the date of the sale to complete the form and send/fax a copy of your license or permit to receive a refund for the tax. Lots from different Auctions may not be aggregated for sales tax purposes."

https://www.ha.com/c/ref/sales-tax.zx
​

And just to clarify, although I have a Sales Tax license for PA, I am buying this as a collector, not for resale.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

no, they cannot.

 

Thanks, Frank.

I wish they had worded their statements a little more clearly.

 

I think the statement is to head off people making claims to being tax exempt in Texas without any documentation to back it up.

 

New internet sales tax rules are going to be implemented soon.

 

Yes, but if your state doesn't collect tax on coins, that should not matter.

<crosses fingers>

Right?

 

In my state the governor is trying to block all internet sales tax (from different states), but I think a change is coming, these sales taxes have been evaded and there are going to be implementations to collect them.

 

Follow the money. States are BROKE. Cities are BROKE. Pension funds (read about Dallas) are in a precarious and catastrophic condition due to low interest rates. Sales taxes are the last refuge to harvest cash to maintain the status quo, and we will see more and more of them, indefinitely, no matter how counter-productive they are in the long run. Brave Governor!

 

Amazon announced recently that they are going to collect and remit all state sales taxes as they have a presence in most if not all states. You cannot raise income taxes without a revolt, but you can collect sales tax and make people grumble.

Wonder if the long term will be that people start shopping locally again?

 

Shopping locally won't help the sales tax situation - it only guarantees that you will pay sales tax on everything, even items normally exempted by other states. It's good for your local economy, but it's bad for someone else's local economy.

 

Only if its cheaper or a higher quality people are willing to pay for. It'd be the same sales tax there anyway

 

Yeah, that effectively raises the price of basically everything on Amazon about 10% for me. Does anyone know if Heritage collects CA sales tax? I don't recall offhand, but I think they do.

 

Pennsylvania doesn't have tax on coins or bullion and Heritage should know that. They should also know which states tax coins or bullion or both or exempt both. Pa does tax paper money not legal tender in the US. From the PA Dept of Revenue site: NT--Coins, investment (numismatic coins and legal tender). If anyone from Heritage reads Coin Talk. Study the State Tax Laws.

 

I thought they had a presence in the LA area, so maybe so. Aren't there variable sales taxes in California? I think like the SF Bay Area has a higher tax because of their rapid transit train system or something.

 

You might live in PA but you are buying from a Texas company. Buying over the internet is really no different than buying in person, at least that's what the states that are broke think. Call or email them and they should give you an answer.

 

If it were not a coin, I'd agree; I would have to pay "use tax" on it.

But again, since coins are exempt from sales tax in the state in which I live, I'm pretty sure I' don't have to pay either.

 

There's a state tax (6%) and then a local tax that's at least 1.25% everywhere. The total tax can be up to 9.75% without state permission, but it can go higher. A city near me has a total tax rate of 10%.

 

The cost of living out there is high enough, coupled with taxes - not worth it IMHO. Lot of people out there migrated back from states like Taxachusetts and the rob them of wealth of Virginia. And guess what happened.

 

You live in PA where there is no sales tax on coins so there are no applicable state and local taxes.

They do because the have a nexus there. They also have a nexus in New York so they collect sales tax there as well.

 

Virginia has a 'use tax' wherein the taxpayer is to self report goods purchased without the benefit of paying a sales tax. In other words, buy from Heritage, don't pay tax, then pay VA. Buy something while traveling in Texas, pay tax, don't report.

My accountant says I'm one of very few people who actually reports one.

Amazon has been taxing since I moved here, and I basically look at my paypal stuff to get a reasonable answer of what hasn't been taxed. Some would say I'm stupid, I prefer 'auditproof'. Well, maybe not audit proof, but if I did get audited I won't have that looming.

Amazon had to start doing the tax once they built facilities in Virginia. I don't know what states Heritage has a presence in, but it might be more than just Texas.
______

edited to add, looks like Conder101 was posting as I was typing...and knew the answer to that one.