You'll be sending sales tax $ to the state, 8 1/2 % + Discovered this today when I was tire shopping for Nitto NT-01 tires. Pulled up Discount Tire Direct's web site, was going to order a set of 235/40/18 (2) and 305/35/18. The web site $$$ were $478 for the 235s and $674 for the 305s. Now add in 8.5 % $97.92, and another $60 to mount them at my local Discount Tire. Revised total? $1,309.92

Anthony's Tire Store in Paso Robles offered me the same tires for $1,250, out the door. Yes, I paid CA sales tax, but the trade off, the tires are being shipped to a tire shop. They get better service than an average web buyer I would think. Anthony's pricing model, and he'll tell you this on the phone, he told me his cost, added in 10% for profit, added in CA tax, added in labor for install, bingo, cheaper than Discount Tire Direct or Discount Tire. I don't think Tire Rack sells Nitto.

I will try my NJ tire distributor next time, Track Day Tire (trackdaytire.com) Maybe they are not being forced to pay tax in CA yet. The only risk is the tires need to shipped cross country, a 4 day trip. I am head to the rack in 7 days, couldn't risk it. Cost from them, w/o CA tax would be $1,102.28....$1,195.98 if CA tax is added, now add $60 for mounting and balancing , $1,255.98....so for me in Paso Robles, CA, Anthony's Tires is a no brainer. Recently bought a set of tires from Anthony's for my SUV, awesome pricing.

 

I've always had to pay sales tax on tires from Discount Tire Direct because of Discount Tire stores locally. Shipping was always free, however. I can get tires from tirerack.com no sales tax, but shipping is about $80. This is all from TX. Also, the Discount Tire store usually will honor DTD prices and order them for you if you ask.

-Mike

 

With the South Dakota vs. Wayfair decision, any large online retailer is going to have to collect sales tax in most states now, even if they don't have a physical presence there. States have been phasing in new "economic nexus" rules based on minimum sales dollars or number of transactions in the prior year. The rules are being phased in and California started collecting in April, I believe. The minimum annual sales requirement that triggers sales tax collection in California is $500k (varies state to state, Texas appears to be the same), which I'm sure Tire Rack exceeds.

Long story short, going forward you're going to be paying sales tax for online purchases from places like Tire Rack, even if they are shipping to you in California, Texas, etc. and don't have stores there. I haven't bought from them recently, but I bet they are adding in the sales tax now.

 

Generally, if place you are ordering from has a brick and mortar physical building in your state, you pay tax.

T

 

Another good reason to live in MT

 

A lot of the internet stores are charging tax now. When I order from ECS Tuning, they're charging me tax, even tho they don't have a physical presence in Colorado. Tire Rack opened a warehouse here in the past few years, so now they charge me tax too. It's getting harder to order online and avoid paying tax...

 

Whew, I was expecting to read that tires contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm!

I ordered from ECS and had the same question regarding sales tax since they are not based in MA, and have no locations here. I was told they have a relationship with Turner Motorsport in MA, so they collect tax on internet sales in MA.

 

They own Turner and Pelican among others

 

That is definitely a "relationship"! I did not realize they owned Turner, and apparently the issues I had with my order were not unique: https://jalopnik.com/spying-on-emplo...g-a-1827474482

 

Wow, I always got the impression that ECS was a smaller outfit just as a customer surfing the web and not knowing better.

I haven't ordered from Pelican or ECS in some time due to general depressed track car spending due to life, but I don't recall being charged sales tax on orders from either of them here in TX.

-Mike

 

Ugh - I really hope they haven't ruined the customer service at Pelican. As a BMW guy, it looks like 2018 was a good year to not have to buy race car parts.

-Mike

 

www.trackdaytire.com The are the Official Tire Supplier for NASA HPDE series and provide about a 8% discount on Hoosier tires if you register with them, delineating your track C.V. Also note, "free ground shipping on all tire orders for a limited time." The sell Hoosier and Toyo track tires...I worked up an order for a set of Hoosiers, 245 and 295/18 tires, and delivered the price was $1,326. Didn't see any sales tax. Good prices on Toyo. R888R as well, I believe better if you are registered with NASA, that's the way it seems.

And BTW, if you are planning to move to CA, the $10,000 Federal limit on mortgage deduction, the 13% state sales tax, the 1% property tax on any new real estate sale my be a consideration, BUT, the coastal weather is awesome, no snow and ice, and basically 2 seasons, Spring and Summer....that's what has been keeping us here, plus lots of race tracks up and down the state...that's my REAL reason, Thunder Hill, Sonoma, Laguna Seca, Buttonwillow CW & CCW, Willow Springs, CA Speedway, Chuckwalla CW & CCW....and access to Spring Mountain in Nevada, and most tracks host events year round. Easy to get in 9 weekends, + Laguna Seca in the dead of summer when most other track are too bloody warm, so 10 a year is easily done. All of this adds up to a potentially huge tire bill, 5 + sets per year...do the math, my wife has

 

I have never ordered from Pelican, and only once from ECS. I actually laughed out loud when I read the Jalopnik article because some of the bashing was exactly what happened to me.

I ordered two in-stock items and qualified for free shipping; I received an order confirmation. I later received another order confirmation because one of the items was apparently back ordered. The kicker was that the second confirm showed that my credit card had been billed again for the back-ordered item (double charged at that point), plus shipping because the single item was below the free-shipping threshold.

Getting the issue was a major headache, and during one of the calls (plural) a representative mentioned having a "relationship" with Turner, hence charging sales tax in MA.

 

ECS bought Rennline too

 

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Will Fabspeed be next?


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