Why do we have to pay use tax? Why can't we just pay sales tax on the materials at the time of purchase?
The use tax was put in place because many materials are not available in our county. This means many contractors and consumers have to purchase in other jurisdictions. Even though we may lose the sale, with a use tax at least we can retain the sales tax revenue for our own jurisdiction. And most of the other jurisdictions have a higher tax rate, so on larger projects, it will save you quite a bit of money.

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1. If I pre-paid use tax on my building project, how do I get exempt from paying sales tax?
2. We are a contractor for an exempt organization, how do I prove the exemption?
3. If I have a County building permit, can I use it to purchase materials in other counties?
4. Why do we have to pay use tax? Why can't we just pay sales tax on the materials at the time of purchase?
5. I had a subcontractor that gave one price for both labor and materials. How do I determine the material cost?