How much $$$ do they tack on?

[PX4WA]

Usually it is the actual selling price but if the price is below market value the ffl may use some arbitrary book value as he has to pay the difference if the state audits him and decides he collected the wrong amount

 

[davemata]

So in effect, WA has instituted a method for an FFL to rob a buyer for them if the buyer deigns to step outside of buying retail. Nice.

 

[PX4WA]

So in effect, WA has instituted a method for an FFL to rob a buyer for them if the buyer deigns to step outside of buying retail. Nice.

You are 100% correct...

This started just a few years ago

 

[davemata]

that should get on the ballot.

 

[badclam]

thanks for clarifying a few things...

1. you are new to WA. I guess you moved from OR. there is no WA background check fee. there is an FFL transfer fee (price set by FFL)
2. 50$ shipping is reasonable if the seller is dropping to his east coast FFL. that FFL would charge the seller a fee + shipping. since they are shipping FFL to FFL does not have to be overnight shipping so it is cheaper. suspect 25$shipping+25$ffl fee= 50$ so that is legit..
3. your WA FFL here will charge you a transfer fee. so add 25-50$ to that. but I would choose an FFL that charged 25$ and use them unless you have no options.
4. your WA FFL here will collect WA use tax
5. the firearm is NOT NEW... it is currently in possession of a non-FFL holder which means it had been sold by an FFL at some point to a private party and now it is used... doesn't matter if he never fired it... it is a used gun as far as the ATF is concerned... so this part is somebody making money off you... or some other bait and switch... even if there was a tax on new RETAIL firearm sales (which I've never heard of but I may be just ignorant, the tax would not apply to your purchase)

PX4WA is right on here. Somebody should be buying you dinner and giving you a kiss before they charge you what you described in your original post.

 

[22many]

Yeah, I doubt the deal is gonna happen anyways. The seller and his ffl doesn't want to work with me on this so I just might pass on it. By the time I pay the seller, the fees, and shipping it's just easier and cheaper to drive up to oly arms and order a new pistol. Hopefully oly won't have their usual 1 year wait.

 

[davemata]

Now if you have a C&R license, do you still have to pay this arbitrary use tax on a C&R purchase?

 

[iamme]

Yeah, I doubt the deal is gonna happen anyways. The seller and his ffl doesn't want to work with me on this so I just might pass on it. By the time I pay the seller, the fees, and shipping it's just easier and cheaper to drive up to oly arms and order a new pistol. Hopefully oly won't have their usual 1 year wait.

Since it seems new to out of state buys- it's always best to make your offer/deal with a "$xyz price shipped". It's not necessarily your job to pay all the fees the buyer trying to get out of you. Easiest to offer a dollar amount shipped and leave the rest to them on their end.

 

[Nwcid]

Now if you have a C&R license, do you still have to pay this arbitrary use tax on a C&R purchase?

By State law you are required to pay ALL of your taxes. Say you go to OR and buy a $1000 TV to "save the tax", well when you get home you should be filling out your tax forms and paying your ~8% tax to the State. Does it happen, no. Does the state have an easy way of enforcing it, not even close. Use tax

So WA gun dealers, just like car dealers should have by law been collecting taxes on gun all along but they had not been. WA is broke like most of the government so they went after an area where "tax enforcement" would be easier. Here is the big "notice" about it, <broken link removed>

This is also why states are putting pressure on many online retailers to charge sales/use taxes for the states. Trust me mail order "tax free" items will be gone before long..........

 

[22many]

Since it seems new to out of state buys- it's always best to make your offer/deal with a "$xyz price shipped". It's not necessarily your job to pay all the fees the buyer trying to get out of you. Easiest to offer a dollar amount shipped and leave the rest to them on their end.

I tried that with the seller last night. He doesn't want to pay any fees or deal with any of it. He just wants to drop it off at his ffl and walk away. Thanks for the advice though.

 

[22many]

By State law you are required to pay ALL of your taxes. Say you go to OR and buy a $1000 TV to "save the tax", well when you get home you should be filling out your tax forms and paying your ~8% tax to the State. Does it happen, no. Does the state have an easy way of enforcing it, not even close. Use tax

So WA gun dealers, just like car dealers should have by law been collecting taxes on gun all along but they had not been. WA is broke like most of the government so they went after an area where "tax enforcement" would be easier. Here is the big "notice" about it, http://dor.wa.gov/docs/pubs/special...tactics are just down right sleazy and wrong.

 

[davemata]

We should fire them.

Odd question though, at Wholesale Sports here I've been asked a few times if I have a Montana ID, because if I did they wouldn't charge me sales tax. What's up with that?!

 

[optiontrigger]

I tried that with the seller last night. He doesn't want to pay any fees or deal with any of it. He just wants to drop it off at his ffl and walk away. Thanks for the advice though.

If the seller is really interested in selling the item, you could inform him to find another FFL who is going to follow the correct fees. With that, other potential buyers won't be turned off by it.

 

[22many]

If the seller is really interested in selling the item, you could inform him to find another FFL who is going to follow the correct fees. With that, other potential buyers won't be turned off by it.

His reasoning is that the guns don't come up very often on the used market (which they don't) and that it's a 6 month to year wait for a new one. He figures if someone wants it now they will abide by the way he wants to do things. I can see some of the point in that but it's just easier and cheaper
if I buy at olys storefront. Oly takes military ID so i figure that should pretty much wipe out the sales tax that I would have to pay. So basically I would get a new gun, no shipping, no transfer fee for a little cheaper.

Depending on olys wait time it might work out good anyways. I go up to the Lewis McCord base for taxes every year so if it takes 6 months then that's fine.

 

[deen_ad]

Usually it is the actual selling price but if the price is below market value the ffl may use some arbitrary book value as he has to pay the difference if the state audits him and decides he collected the wrong amount

On vehicles the state uses a private "valuation service" if the price appears to be too low. Not sure if they do the same on firearms though, but they are aware of "lowball" sales receipts to cheat the stats out of it's legal taxes.

 

[deen_ad]

I swear, everyday I get more and more irritated by the ways the government tries to tax us. Some of their tactics are just down right sleazy and wrong.

So you believe it's OK to flaunt the laws and not pay taxes to your state of residence?

 

[cwegga]

We should fire them.

Odd question though, at Wholesale Sports here I've been asked a few times if I have a Montana ID, because if I did they wouldn't charge me sales tax. What's up with that?!

No sales tax in Montana. So just like Washington residents buying things in Oregon are required to pay use tax to Washington. Oregon and Montana residents can show their ID and not pay sales tax in Washington.

 

[22many]

So you believe it's OK to flaunt the laws and not pay taxes to your state of residence?

Do I believe I have to pay a "use tax" on everything? No. Sales tax yeah, but a use tax no. The use tax is just another word so they can charge you on new AND used items. Same goes for washingtons transfer tax. If i sell my home why should I pay another tax? You can bet the new buyers would have to pay taxes on it also.

Regardless, IMO it's still better than living in Portland. Portland has so many bs rules that I'm glad I don't live there anymore. Anyways, my rant is over (ha ha). Thanks for filing me in on the laws guys.

 

[PDXSparky]

No sales tax in Montana. So just like Washington residents buying things in Oregon are required to pay use tax to Washington. Oregon and Montana residents can show their ID and not pay sales tax in Washington.

Yep, just tell the cashier that you are "tax exempt". This will only work on things you buy that they think you'll be taking back to your home state. It won't work on stuff you'd consume in-state such as meals at a restaurant.

 

[hermannr]

I have not bought a new handgun in awhile. I found a gun online that I have been looking for for awhile. Got kinda excited about it until I looked into what it would take to own it. After the transfer, ATF tax, and washingtons "use" tax it's a extra $250! Seriousally? Is this the standard now? They can't get rid of guns so they tax them heavily?

Can any other Washington residents confirm that this is the new standard for owning firearms?

Sounds like someone has their own version of a "second sticker" like the car dealers use...at least some of the car dealers are honest enough to call it "added dealer markup"

I have purchased several pistols online from out of state FFL's. The charges I have paid have been $20 transfer fee, and 7.7% state and county use (same as you local sales tax rate) tax. That is it...onehundred percent it and only those charges. Your receiving FFL will have a transfer fee...somewhere between $10 and I have heard as high as $50...but that is strictly up to the FFL. That is his charge for processing the paperwork. The use (sales) tax is called a "use" tax because the "sale" was not in WA and the gov wants her money to spend for you.

When you purchase from someone out of state make sure you know what they are going to charge for shipping, or if they cover shipping. If you purchase from someone out of state that does not have an FFL, make sure your receiving FFL will accept transfers from a non FFL. Not law, but some ffls have a policy about only receiving from another FFL.