Where to buy new guns at the best price?

[Pat]

That's a change from the way I remember it 10 odd years ago. I was always given the impression that the tax, although it may have been directed at the consumer, was supposedly for the benefits the State provides to doing business in the state, not just some unreasonable tax simply because we want more of your money but don't have any real claim to why we should get it style sales tax.

Well, what's to be said. The legislature ALWAYS has a reason to raise our taxes. Have you ever heard a Minnesota politician talk about lowering the sales tax?

[Squib Joe]

The state requires that you fill out a UT-1 Individual Use Tax form, and send a check for tax due, when you make a purchase from out of state.

Is it likely to be a problem if you forget to do this after buying a couple of DVDs on eBay? Not likely. Plasma screen TVs, guns, diamond rings, crates of wine? Maybe.

From the MN Dept of Revenoorers:

"What is use tax?

Use tax is the counterpart of sales tax. You owe use tax when Minnesota sales tax is not charged on taxable items you buy, whether you buy them in Minnesota or outside the state. In addition, if you live in an area with a local use tax, you owe local use tax on the items as well.

For example, if you travel to another state or country and bring back items that are normally taxed in Minnesota, you would owe use tax on them. The same applies if you buy taxable items through mail-order catalogs or the Internet if Minnesota sales tax is not charged on the purchase.

Minnesota’s use tax rate is 6.5 percent, the same as the sales tax rate. You can buy up to $770 worth of taxable items for your personal use during the calendar year without paying use tax. If, however, your purchases total more than $770, you must pay use tax on the entire amount.

Use tax does not apply to items currently tax-exempt in Minnesota, such as clothing, prescription drugs and most groceries."

[Dick Unger]

Minnesota sometimes goes after business sales tax avoidance. For example, new light bulbs for a big building cost maybe $10,000, every year or so. Save $650.00 if you don't pay the tax. Sometimes a Minnesota light bulb company will complain to the state, because they are at a price disadvantage otherwise. And some companies from out of state specialize in picking off these sales by telling the customer it's "tax free"'. It's kind of a game.

Not likely for an individual on a one time purchase.