paying sales tax iin a state that you don't live in.

[bigedshult]

my truck broke down in Ogden,Utah and they charged me over $200 in sales tax! I don't think it's fair to charge somebody so much sales tax when you don't live in the state. Just because your vehicle breaks down in their state you have to pay them a fortune! I live in the state of Oregon and we don't pay sales tax in the state! So why do I have to pay sales tax in their dumb state just as my car actually broke down there? Do you think I spent when they come up to the Oregon they'll have to pay sales tax. So why should I have to pay the sales tax in their state? What do you think is it fair that I should have paid their sales tax why don't live there and they'll have to pay sales tax  when they come visit us

[falcon9]

my truck broke down in Ogden,Utah and they charged me over $200 in sales tax! I don't think it's fair to charge somebody so much sales tax when you don't live in the state. Just because your vehicle breaks down in their state you have to pay them a fortune! I live in the state of Oregon and we don't pay sales tax in the state! So why do I have to pay sales tax in their dumb state just as my car actually broke down there? Do you think I spent when they come up to the Oregon they'll have to pay sales tax. So why should I have to pay the sales tax in their state? What do you think is it fair that I should have paid their sales tax why don't live there and they'll have to pay sales tax  when they come visit us

If the vehicle was repaired in a state which charges sales tax for such repairs, living in a state without sales tax has no bearing on that situation.  It is therefore unreasonable to expect one state's taxation laws to apply to another state's.

[dreamyxo]

What if you spend the night in a hotel in a state that charges sales tax what then?  Maybe you shouldn't ever leave your state because you will be charged accordingly for whatever state you happen to be in.

[alaric99x]

Be glad, you don't have it so bad.  I left Germany 2 1/2 years ago, sales tax then was 19%, still is and it's about the same everywhere else in Europe.  If you earn as little as $1000 a month (low for there, but not uncommon) you'll pay 34% of that in income tax, higher income, obviously, pays a higher percentage, 34% is the general minimum.  Who do you think pays for that "free" health care you all are dreaming about?  In Germany the health care didn't include much of dental and there were still co-payments on almost everything else.  Gasoline there costs $7.77 for a gallon of super.  They've added a number of taxes to gas and then they charge you the 19% sales tax at the end, effectively charging you sales tax on other taxes you've already paid.  I've been to almost every country in Europe and it's pretty much the same everywhere so, once again, stop crying, be glad.

[Oryon20]

The business operating in the state with sales tax has to report their earnings and pay the appropriate taxes.  Not doing so would be illegal and fraud.  Why on earth would they provide service to you and not charge tax just because you come from a state with no sales tax?  If that was ever found out, they could lose their license. 

It's no different than if someone broke down in Oregon and weren't from there, they wouldn't have to pay tax for their repairs.

Sales tax isn't a federal mandate.  You have to follow the laws of the individual state you're in... whether you're just passing through or live there permanently.