Comments on: How to Decide if Travelling to a Sales Tax Holiday is Worthwhile http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/ personal finance tips, tricks, and commentary Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:51:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: RateLadder http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/comment-page-1/#comment-78769 RateLadder Sat, 04 Aug 2007 02:41:16 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/#comment-78769 0/2 you can bet I will pay closer attention in the future. 0/2 you can bet I will pay closer attention in the future.

]]> By: MITBeta http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/comment-page-1/#comment-78768 MITBeta Fri, 03 Aug 2007 20:28:21 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/#comment-78768 Generally you can also find better deals in the same stores at other times of the year than you can find on the tax holiday. My state sales tax is 5%. If I can find a TV that I've had my eye on for 10% on a non-tax holiday versus full price on the tax holiday, the choice is obvious. I wonder how many non thinking consumers will be fooled by this... Also consider that many states have caps on the amount of stuff you can buy, so you might end up at the breakeven point in your calculation and find that you're at the tax exempt limit and not be able to save anything. Generally you can also find better deals in the same stores at other times of the year than you can find on the tax holiday. My state sales tax is 5%. If I can find a TV that I’ve had my eye on for 10% on a non-tax holiday versus full price on the tax holiday, the choice is obvious. I wonder how many non thinking consumers will be fooled by this…

Also consider that many states have caps on the amount of stuff you can buy, so you might end up at the breakeven point in your calculation and find that you’re at the tax exempt limit and not be able to save anything.

]]> By: Rob Carlson http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/comment-page-1/#comment-78767 Rob Carlson Fri, 03 Aug 2007 18:30:26 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/#comment-78767 To anyone who lives on a state border with Delaware, it's not worth it to go out of your way on any particular weekend. To anyone who lives on a state border with Delaware, it’s not worth it to go out of your way on any particular weekend.

]]> By: nickel http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/comment-page-1/#comment-78765 nickel Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:16:54 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/#comment-78765 Wow, you have a really short attention span, don't you? ;) "And yes, I realize that most states technically require you to pay sales and use tax for online purchases when you file your taxes, but the same is also true of out-of-state purchases. Regardless, I promise that I won’t report you." Yes, you're supposed to pay home state sales tax for online our out-of-state purchases. Wow, you have a really short attention span, don’t you? ;)

“And yes, I realize that most states technically require you to pay sales and use tax for online purchases when you file your taxes, but the same is also true of out-of-state purchases. Regardless, I promise that I won’t report you.”

Yes, you’re supposed to pay home state sales tax for online our out-of-state purchases.

]]> By: RateLadder http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/comment-page-1/#comment-78764 RateLadder Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:12:33 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/#comment-78764 Oh sorry… I missed that. Once I assign a value for my time I don’t think driving anywhere can be worth. Only on REALLY big ticket items and almost all of those get taxed by my home state anyway. Aren't you supposed to pay your home states sales tax anyway on nonperishables? Oh sorry… I missed that.

Once I assign a value for my time I don’t think driving anywhere can be worth. Only on REALLY big ticket items and almost all of those get taxed by my home state anyway.

Aren’t you supposed to pay your home states sales tax anyway on nonperishables?

]]> By: nickel http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/comment-page-1/#comment-78763 nickel Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:04:52 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/#comment-78763 @RateLadder: Um, no... It <i>doesn't</i> ignore the value of your time. Look at Step 3 and 4. Step 3 - Estimate the amount of extra time involved. Step 4 - Estimate the cost of this extra time. It's up to you to assign a value for your time, but once you've done that it's dead easy to incorporate that sort of cost. @RateLadder: Um, no… It doesn’t ignore the value of your time. Look at Step 3 and 4.

Step 3 – Estimate the amount of extra time involved.

Step 4 – Estimate the cost of this extra time.

It’s up to you to assign a value for your time, but once you’ve done that it’s dead easy to incorporate that sort of cost.

]]> By: RateLadder http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/comment-page-1/#comment-78762 RateLadder Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:36:47 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/#comment-78762 It also ignores the value of your time. It also ignores the value of your time.

]]> By: Blaine Moore http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/comment-page-1/#comment-78760 Blaine Moore Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:28:22 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/08/03/how-to-decide-if-travelling-to-a-sales-tax-holiday-is-worthwhile/#comment-78760 It isn't worth it even if I am making a large purchase because I would report myself so I'd still wind up paying taxes for it. The bigger issue, of course, is that it isn't worth the <em>time</em> it would take to get there and back, ignoring any savings. It isn’t worth it even if I am making a large purchase because I would report myself so I’d still wind up paying taxes for it.

The bigger issue, of course, is that it isn’t worth the time it would take to get there and back, ignoring any savings.

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