How to avoid spending the full $299 upgrade rate at Verizon on Day 1

[Robert22]

The Nexus will be my first smart phone. Is there any way to take over someone's contract that has unlimited gig's and use it to buy or upgrade to the Nexus? I imagine it would be difficult to find that someone but who knows?

 

[azules9780]

Let me make sure I understand this. Even though the cost of the phone is $299.00 you have to pay the tax on the full retail price?

I'm with this guy, are we understanding this correctly? There is no way I pay taxes on a higher amount than what I actually paid. Do you pay taxes on your pretax money that you set aside out of your check? I hope not!

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

 

[ænyoc]

I'm with this guy, are we understanding this correctly? There is no way I pay taxes on a higher amount than what I actually paid. Do you pay taxes on your pretax money that you set aside out of your check? I hope not!

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

This is true. In California, if you buy your phone at a VZW store, you pay sales tax on the full (unsubsidized) retail price of the phone, regardless if you are paying the subsidized or unsubsidized price. I'm not sure if this applies to Best Buy, Costco, Radio Shack or any other reatilers as I've only ever bought my phones at a VZW store. (Can someone else confirm for the other locations?)

 

[chewy74]

To be honest with you, I've exhausted myself waiting for this phone...I have no more enthusiasm to give to the g-nex.

I have sbf'd back to a PE4.2 (froyo) and my D1 is doing ok for now. Unless there’s some sweet deal at launch day, I will not be purchasing for $299. I will wait until I get a markdown or a worthwhile bundle for that price...funny thing is if it was released last Friday as the likely rumor said, i would've picked it up at for 299 without hesitation.

My D1 will outlast VZW's idiocy in holding this release

 

[hotkoko]

Nice

Sent from my DROID Pro using DroidForums

 

[jcardona1]

Let me make sure I understand this. Even though the cost of the phone is $299.00 you have to pay the tax on the full retail price?

I'm with this guy, are we understanding this correctly? There is no way I pay taxes on a higher amount than what I actually paid. Do you pay taxes on your pretax money that you set aside out of your check? I hope not!

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

This is true. In California, if you buy your phone at a VZW store, you pay sales tax on the full (unsubsidized) retail price of the phone, regardless if you are paying the subsidized or unsubsidized price. I'm not sure if this applies to Best Buy, Costco, Radio Shack or any other reatilers as I've only ever bought my phones at a VZW store. (Can someone else confirm for the other locations?)

YES, this is how it works in California, thanks to our idiotic libtard policies. California isn't the only state that does this, and this doesn't only apply to cell phones. I've even seen Petco and Petsmart do this, when they have their $1/gallon fish tank sales. They charge you tax on the full retail price. Why? Because they can. They don't have to (as seen by Radio Shack and Costco stores that charge the regular sales tax) but they do it because they want to. Who knows if they're even remitting this to the state to be honest.

Verizon will do this each and every time to a CA customer. Doesn't matter if you buy it at a store, online, or over the phone with customer service.

http://www.boe.ca.gov/pdf/pub120.pdf

 

[TheOldFart]

I believe that CA does the same thing when buying a vehicle. If the car has a sticker price of $20,000 and you have a $10,000 trade-in, you pay sales tax on the $20,000. I know that in most states (PA and NY for sure) that you only pay sales tax on the $10,000 difference.

 

[djras1]

Yeah... Verizon (in general) charges sales tax on full retail price... But I bought 2 phone 11/11/2010 from Staples $199 BOGO... Paid only $217.

Just a week ago I bought an iPhone 4s direct from Verizon for $199 (upgrade on my wife's line) and they charged NO sales tax... though in the comments below said they charged sales tax on full retail price. I dunno how that slipped through the crack.. but not going to bring it up.

Additionally... California requests that you pay the sales tax on all untaxed out of state purchases (there is a line on the CA income tax forms).

 

[djras1]

YES, this is how it works in California, thanks to our idiotic libtard policies. California isn't the only state that does this, and this doesn't only apply to cell phones. I've even seen Petco and Petsmart do this, when they have their $1/gallon fish tank sales. They charge you tax on the full retail price. Why? Because they can. They don't have to (as seen by Radio Shack and Costco stores that charge the regular sales tax) but they do it because they want to. Who knows if they're even remitting this to the state to be honest.

Verizon will do this each and every time to a CA customer. Doesn't matter if you buy it at a store, online, or over the phone with customer service.

http://www.boe.ca.gov/pdf/pub120.pdf

The BOE link shows this IS required... not that the retailer WANTs to or not. Also, This was enacted under a Republican Governator

 

[TheOldFart]

Yeah... Verizon (in general) charges sales tax on full retail price... But I bought 2 phone 11/11/2010 from Staples $199 BOGO... Paid only $217.

Just a week ago I bought an iPhone 4s direct from Verizon for $199 (upgrade on my wife's line) and they charged NO sales tax... though in the comments below said they charged sales tax on full retail price. I dunno how that slipped through the crack.. but not going to bring it up.

Additionally... California requests that you pay the sales tax on all untaxed out of state purchases (there is a line on the CA income tax forms).

NY added that about 6 years ago too. That is why Amazon charges sales tax on purchases from NY. I think Amazon does the same for CA, but I'm not sure of that.

 

[jcardona1]

NY added that about 6 years ago too. That is why Amazon charges sales tax on purchases from NY. I think Amazon does the same for CA, but I'm not sure of that.

I know that CA was trying to get Amazon to charge sales tax, but I'm not sure on the status of that. But I can tell you that I've yet to be charged sales tax from Amazon. That would really suck too...I purchase A LOT from Amazon.

 

[KJW979]

To be honest with you, I've exhausted myself waiting for this phone...I have no more enthusiasm to give to the g-nex.

I have sbf'd back to a PE4.2 (froyo) and my D1 is doing ok for now. Unless there’s some sweet deal at launch day, I will not be purchasing for $299. I will wait until I get a markdown or a worthwhile bundle for that price...funny thing is if it was released last Friday as the likely rumor said, i would've picked it up at for 299 without hesitation.

My D1 will outlast VZW's idiocy in holding this release

1+, back to 6.5 myself, also will wait for better price.

Sent from my Droid using DroidForums

 

[TheOldFart]

I know that CA was trying to get Amazon to charge sales tax, but I'm not sure on the status of that. But I can tell you that I've yet to be charged sales tax from Amazon. That would really suck too...I purchase A LOT from Amazon.

In NY, it depends on whether it is direct from Amazon or fulfilled by Amazon. If it is fulfilled by Amazon and the vendor is outside NY, then sales tax isn't charged. In addition, we can pay a blanket sales tax amount based on income, so I do that. It is less than the sales tax I would have to pay if I itemized every mail order item.

 

[shinobi13]

Yes you have to pay!

This is true. In California, if you buy your phone at a VZW store, you pay sales tax on the full (unsubsidized) retail price of the phone, regardless if you are paying the subsidized or unsubsidized price. I'm not sure if this applies to Best Buy, Costco, Radio Shack or any other reatilers as I've only ever bought my phones at a VZW store. (Can someone else confirm for the other locations?)

I bought my D3 (upgrade price of 29.99) last week at Fry's here in CA (San Dog) and they charged me full unsubscribed tax. The tax was more than the freaking phone! :blink:

Didn't know about the Nexus till after I bought it. Oh well.

Anyway, my OG droid needed a break so I walked away happy after I fiddled with it a bit and later rooted...etc. So yes you will have to pay the full tax. BS!

 

[Mrwirez]

At least you guys don't get taxed on the full $700 like we do in Commiefornia. That's an extra $60-70 on top of the damn $299 price.

THAT is outrageous! How can you be taxed on something you didn't buy [the $700 phone]?
+1 for Commiefornia... Lol, sorry