Sales tax

[QuestionGuy101]

What is the name of your state? California

Is it ok to accept a deal which the seller offers not to charge you for the sales tax? We are in the process of buying an used office equipment. The seller offers that we don't have to pay the sales tax and he will take care it. So is it ok for a buyer to accept a deal which he does not need to pay the sales tax? I remember I saw a banner outside a furniture store before which says 'No sales tax on Sunday'. So does it mean that it's ok for a buyer not to pay the sales tax if the seller will take care it? Thank you.

[Some Random Guy]

lets say that sales tax is 6% and you are buying an item for $100. Normally, the price would be $106. But in your case, the price would be $100 and the merchant would record a price of $94.34 with sales tax collected of $5.66.

The government always gets their slice or the merchant lands in the poorhouse.

The main exception to this is where the merchant ships to you out of state to a location where the merchant does not do business. In that case, it is your obligation as a consumer to pay your state's sales tax to the state.

[CraigFL]

Some merchants use this gimmick as a sales tool to give a discount equal to the sales tax. Apparently it appeals to some that they don't seem to have to pay the government directly.

Sometimes this happens unknowingly in my business because the person was accidentally not charged tax. I just "correct" my computer receipt and books to pay the appropriate sales tax even though the customers receipt may not show it directly...

As a business, I do get audited and have to produce tax exemtion certificates for those receipts that show no sales tax paid. If I don't have the right documentation, they just charge me tax on the transaction.