The New York Attorney General has filed a major lawsuit against photo and video gear retailer B&H Photo alleging that the retail giant has dodged millions in sales taxes over the past 13 years. B&H calls the lawsuit "outrageous" and says these claims are "flat wrong."
Online shopping used to give buyers the perk of not having to pay sales tax, but the Supreme Court ruled last year that states can force online retailers to collect taxes. B&H just unveiled a solution to this "sales tax problem": it launched a new credit card that refunds all sales tax on all orders for all customers.
Camera gear is about to get more expensive for most online shoppers in the United States. The Supreme Court just ruled that states may force online retailers to collect sales tax on their behalf. While Amazon already does this -- it has a "nexus" in every state -- camera gear giants like B&H and Adorama will now have to follow suit.
If you live in California and have been eyeing some camera gear on Amazon, you might want to bust out your wallet and make the purchase this week. On September 15th, 2012, Amazon will start collecting sales tax for purchases made from California. The tax rate ranges from 7.25% to 9.75% depending on where you live, so the cost difference could be quite significant depending on what you buy. For a $1,500 camera or lens, the tax could be as heavy as $150.