Internet cigar sales to California

[Sydseegar]

Hi guys,

Just wondering if I could pick your brains about something.

I live in Australia and I have family in California.

I was thinking about ordering some cigars on a US website in one state to be delivered to my family members in California so that they could be picked up by me on a visit - rather than delivery straight to Australia (saves huge tax bill).

Just wondering if there would be any tax payable by my family in California for cigars bought by me on a website in another state and transported to California even if I am the nominated purchaser and they will be taken overseas - ie are there interstate taxes payable for delivery to California and if so roughly how much??

Thanks for any help anyone can give.

EDIT - [PS = otherwise could you give me the details of good cigar shops in california especially the Bay area - ones with internet shopping]

[chinomalo]

I live in Los Angeles and shop online all the time.. I don't think there would be a tax, but I maybe wrong.. One problem is that unless you visit all the time or unless one of your family member has a humi, your sticks may turn into "sticks"...

If you do fly alot, get your mileage up and go to the source..

Do a search on 'San Francisco', some one was going there or from there that had info..

I know CA retailers tend to be higher than internet sales.. Thus me shopping online..

Hope this helps..

[bobbyg29-cl]

Technically, you are supposed to pay the appropriate taxes for the address (i.e., state) the cigars are being shipped to. For example, when you check out at Cigars International it says: "Remittance of any taxes on orders shipped outside of Pennsylvania is the responsibility of the purchaser".

In practice, hardly anyone one does this. I have heard of some states sending a big tax bill to people that have made a lot of cigar orders over the internet whereas other states seem to completely ignore it. I am not sure about California.

[chinomalo]

Originally Posted by bobbyg29

Technically, you are supposed to pay the appropriate taxes for the address (i.e., state) the cigars are being shipped to. For example, when you check out at Cigars International it says: "Remittance of any taxes on orders shipped outside of Pennsylvania is the responsibility of the purchaser".

In practice, hardly anyone one does this. I have heard of some states sending a big tax bill to people that have made a lot of cigar orders over the internet whereas other states seem to completely ignore it. I am not sure about California.

Don't tell anyone BobbyG29!!!

[nootje]

Another option is to let the shipment be labelled as a "present"... this seems to avoid the tax problem most of the time here in holland...A lot of companies do not have any problems with this method.

[shrtcrt-cl]

Why not ask the family member to order for you and then you pay them back?

[havanitascigars-cl]

I live in California and have never received a bill for taxes on cigars in 15 years... or for any other purchase for that matter... if the company is not domiciled in California.

[stig-cl]

Yep, no taxes on anything I've ordered, ever.

[Sydseegar]

Originally Posted by nootje

Another option is to let the shipment be labelled as a "present"... this seems to avoid the tax problem most of the time here in holland...A lot of companies do not have any problems with this method.

Absolutely everything gets x-rayed on its way into Australia so labelling is really irrelevant - they stop and tax all tobacco all the time (as well as coffee etc etc). And we're talking roughly $100 in tax for a box of petit coronas. As for churchills - well you have to speak to your bank manager before ordering.

Thanks for the help - seems as though it should be OK - if the fam ever get a tax bill i will pay it (promise!!:errrr.

Would you believe that I actually forgot about the humidification issue while they wait there - good excuse to buy a desktop too!!:leph:

Thanks again for your help