Posted: 8/21/2005 7:16:49 AM EDT
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My dad was gonna order a bolt rifle from an out of state dealer and have the FFL transaction done by Blythe's in NW Indiana. The guy at Blythe's told him that the shop would charge him Indiana sales tax on the transaction even though the payment would have gone directly to the dealer out of state and that the rifle would have been sent to my dad's name in care of Blythe's. Any of you Hoosiers can explain this? Or is Blythe's just trying to rack up some extra cash at his expense in additional to the outrageous transfer fees they were going to charge? And thanks in advance! Looking forward to hear how things are done in Indiana. |
That doesn't sound right at all. When we do a transfer for someone, we just charge a flat transfer fee. |
Same here we just charge the flat fee as well. Sounds like Blyth's. |
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Shooter, yep, that is the way it works for me when I am in Virginia. As long as the "package" is marked for me by name, no sales tax just a flat transfer cost. I think someone was trying to pick up a few extra bucks off of him. Heck, he's in his 70's and on a fixed income. He can't afford to spend anything more than he has to. Any body else out there have any experience with this? Any one know of a reputable dealer in NW Indiana who'll do transfers for a reasonable fee? Heck, we both realize that dealers got to feed thier families too. Just don't take advantage of us. Thanks guys! |
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Any dealer that charges state sales tax for an out-of-state transfer is ripping you off--plain and simple. Enter your father's telephone area code HERE to find dealers who do transfers in his area. |
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Many thanks to all of you who have responded. I'll be giving him a call later this week and will let him know what you guys have told me. For a while I was thinking that perhaps Indiana had a law that required merchants to collect IN sales taxes on out of state purchases but you guys have certainly cleared that up for me. Again, you guys have been great. I may be visiting my folks back in Dyer in a couple of months and if things go well, I would certainly look forward to meeting some of you guys! Thanks once again and Semper Fi!! Scott |
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The dealer in the first message is trying to do something they're probably not allowed to do. They certainly won't have to pay that tax to the state at the end of the year, so it sounds like a profit making situation for them with a little deception thrown in to make it really unsavory. Of course, the State of Indiana will want you to pay a "use tax" when you file your income taxes in the amount of 6% of all of the purchases you made "out of state" via mail order, web, etc. where you were not charged local sales taxes.  That of course has nothing to do with the dealer trying to steal money from you. The state has its own people to steal from you. 
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Don't you just put a big, fat zero in that space on your IT-40?
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That's certainly the smart and right thing to do, but ... A few years ago, when the state went from surplus to deficit, someone got the bright idea of sending letters to some Indiana tax payers "reminding" them about the use tax assessments. Some were intimidated into doing it, as was the obvious plan. Then, once you do it, you're pretty much locked into it since it's going to be obvious if you have a goose egg one year. Audits are no fun. I will neither affirm nor deny that I am such an individual as mentioned above. 
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All good info guys! Thanks to M4Madness for the link to the GunsAmerica website with the FFL finder. Sounds like I may have kicked up a small hornets nest as my dad isn't the only one to run into this practice. Gun shops do need to make a profit but they shouldn't be able to rip off the customer either. Virginia has something similar to the "use" tax for out of state internet purchases also. |
Another vote for Blythe's (and Fetlas) being the worst pricks in NW Indiana you can do buisness with!  I live less than five minutes away from Blythe's (The one in Dyer anyway - the one in Valpo isn't quite as bad). I sold a new Colt AR to them just lately and threw in a kinda new Pelican case. Two days later I talked to the poor kid who bought the case. They charged him $100 plus tax for a case I paid $50 for... then gave them. See if Duke Sakon ([email protected]) still has his 01 (I think his username here is CenterCourt). If not, there used to be a guy in Dyer who was pretty reasonable. |
