WA FA Trade -vs- Sales Tax

RicInOR · Dec 3, 2015

I am helping someone do a firearm trade in WA.

They have found someone to trade pistols with and to be in compliance will meet at an FFL to do the transfer.

Being Washington, how is the Sales tax done?
If he was buying a pistol, then you have a cash value upon which to base the tax. But for a trade?

I know when I sold this guy a gun, he had to pay sales tax even though I am in Oregon, as the transaction across state lines required an FFL who was located in his state.

This is Private Party to Private Party, not across state lines. The dealer is just to complete the BGC.

TIA

If this is already answered somewhere, just point me at that.
If not, maybe it could be added to a FAQ.

Joe13 · Dec 3, 2015

FTF thru an FFL should not require taxes in WA.

I've sold and bought used since the new law and have never been charged tax nor asked what the selling price was - they just do a BGC.

mjbskwim · Dec 3, 2015

Taxes on trades are done on the difference anyway
So 500 gun minus trade gun of 400 would leave 100 to be taxed.
Or both guns just seem to be worth the same price and nobody knows about any cash being distributed.

Kimber Custom · Dec 3, 2015

It's not sales tax, it's use tax. Most FFL's won't charge the use tax on a transfer. It is your responsibility to report it on your taxes and pay it then (on the full value of the firearm).

Why people are willing to disregard use tax but bow down to the ATF on transfers is a mystery to me.

slimmer13 · Dec 3, 2015

Kimber Custom said:
It's not sales tax, it's use tax. Most FFL's won't charge the use tax on a transfer. It is your responsibility to report it on your taxes and pay it then (on the full value of the firearm).

Why people are willing to disregard use tax but bow down to the ATF on transfers is a mystery to me.

ATF has nothing to do with transfers within a state. It's WSP who would hypothetically enforce it if it is ever to be enforced. But yes it's use tax and you are supposedly to pay that on your own. Like buying a snowblower off CL.

Kimber Custom · Dec 3, 2015

I was reading too much into the situation. Sounded like an intrastate transfer between OR and WA. One way or the other it's a cage with no lock on the door. We do transfers and pay taxes voluntarily.

mjbskwim · Dec 3, 2015

Kimber Custom said:
I was reading too much into the situation. Sounded like an intrastate transfer between OR and WA. One way or the other it's a cage with no lock on the door. We do transfers and pay taxes voluntarily.

Uhh yeah, I just kinda say nothing about it because the sight wants you to say only what is legal.
So you can use your imagination as to what my posts would be otherwise

Belial · Dec 4, 2015

RicInOR said:
I am helping someone do a firearm trade in WA.

They have found someone to trade pistols with and to be in compliance will meet at an FFL to do the transfer.

Being Washington, how is the Sales tax done?
If he was buying a pistol, then you have a cash value upon which to base the tax. But for a trade?

I know when I sold this guy a gun, he had to pay sales tax even though I am in Oregon, as the transaction across state lines required an FFL who was located in his state.

This is Private Party to Private Party, not across state lines. The dealer is just to complete the BGC.

TIA

If this is already answered somewhere, just point me at that.
If not, maybe it could be added to a FAQ.

<broken link removed>

Private party to dealer in state "should" not have tax collected of any kind by transferring dealer how I read this. If the dealer is collecting taxes on private transfers I would find another imho...