So I’m doing something insane to save $500 on a new MacBook Pro 14” b/c of Seattle sales tax. I’m taking the train to fucking Portland. Because it’s $70 on the nice train plus maybe $20 in Ubers vs $552 in extra tax. Usually, I let the sales tax thing go but $550 was where I learned the line was for me to instead spend all day on a train.
@film_girl even from San Jose, I could fly to Portland and back and book a hotel for the same price as the sales tax. I could literally get a “free” trip to Portland by buying in Portland
@film_girl Never thought of doing that. Hmm Vision Pro seems like it would be worth doing that trip for. Could pack a few people in to the car for a Vision Pro cannonball run and back. Thanks for stirring that pot.
@film_girl a MacBook Pro M3 Max is $3,199 and the Seattle tax rate is 10.25%
Are you bad at math or just pushing a narrative?
And Oregon has an income tax instead of a sales tax.
@ElonsMom my maxed out laptop is $5929.25, including $551 in taxes. Are you illiterate or just pushing a narrative? And I’m aware of how Oregon's tax code works. Most states have both. Washington and Oregon happen to only choose one. I'm taking a trip to save money. Oh no, alert the Washington state tax office.
@film_girl sorry, it appears I missed an option (and they now max out at a crazy $7,199). And my point was that entities need revenue for services, and the disparate systems between states make WA and OR make the comparison a poor basis for judging whether WA rates are excessive. If you choose to go to OR, you do you. Cheers
@film_girl I’m in Seattle and did the same for my last Apple purchase! I’ve got family not too far from Portland, so I was able to also stop and see them, so wins all around!
@film_girl oh vey, in PA they want to charge you what’s called “use tax” for when you do this to not pay the state their share, for business purchases.
@chrispaveglio apparently Washington has this too. But they have to prove I’m using the item in Washington. If they want you to spend tens of thousands to try to squeeze a few hundred dollars and some penalties out of me, they can go for it. I’ll take great pleasure in costing the state money.
@flargh@mjgardner@film_girl Look, I'm not going to argue that all of Camden is great, but the waterfront is nice, and the Battleship New Jersey is worth a visit.
But I thought we were talking about tax free shopping, which is I mentioned Wilmington. (Actually the Apple Store is down the road a piece in Christiana.)
@film_girl First, we welcome you to #pdx. Second, you can walk from train station to Apple Store (maps says 18 min walk) and spend $20 at Voodoo Donuts, Luc Luc, Stretch the Noodle, Tokyo Sando, or Trap Kitchen to mention 1% of the great place to eat.
@KingShawn@film_girl When I moved to Oxford in '93, I spent all day on 2 trains to Edinburgh (6-7 hrs?) - in order to get a LaserWriter! (I had moved there and my BF wouldn't let me ship the LaserWriter I had in Washington, DC cos of the cost! So I located one used in Scotland and went up to buy it.)
I had a ball... but trains in the UK in the 90's were so fantastic! They're less so now...
@eoauey heh, I think I’ll prob just save myself and do it at home rather than try to do a setup on either train wifi (seems like a bad idea) or my phone!
@film_girl I don't think that's insane. You've probably done the math, but if it takes 6 hours that's still over 70$ an hour saved… That's more than most people make in the entire world.
@paul good to know! I’m getting a better price than they offer AND they say 3-8 weeks for shipping estimate so not worth it here BUT this is great to know
@film_girl Oof! I guess I'm spoiled being an Oregonian, at least when it comes to the lack of a sales tax on purchases, especially on things like tech, photography and other larger purchases.
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