Just got charged sales tax on pellet fuel at Sam's club in Warwick, R.I.

[toastyinri]

I told the cashier that there is no tax on pellet fuel...never has been. She told me they were checking with "corporate"....nonsense Sam's club has been selling pellet fuel for a number of years.

Came home and called the manager of the store...got the same answer...they're checking with corporate and I'm not the only one who has complained.

Saving my sales receipt.

I wonder if Walmart is doing the same thing.....same "corporate" isn't it?

Anybody else get charged sales tax from a big box?

 

[ttdberg]

Nope, never have. Neither should you have. Are they going to get back to you after they confirm with corp or do you have to chase this one?

 

[Tim Linden]

You know what.. I never checked if home depot did. I will when I get home!

 

[Tim Linden]

Ps nice to see a fellow RIer!

 

[OhioBurner©]

Being a pellet newby I didn't know these were tax exempt? Is that true everywhere? I payed tax on my 3T I just bought from the local hardware store.

 

[mr47930]

Is this just a state-by-state thing or nationwide? I was charged sales tax in the not-so-great state of MD. With Martin Owe'Malley in charge everything is taxed...even the rain. (if you think im kidding, google "MD rain tax")

 

[moey]

It varies by state sometimes even county.

 

[JDenyer236]

Heating fuels are exempt from sales tax in Rhode Island provided they are for domestic and not commercial use. See link.
http://www.sutexemptions.com/states/rhode-island-exemptions.html

 

[ttdberg]

It varies by state. AFAIK none of the New England states charge tax on fuel pellets. However, pellets intended for a use other than heating, such as the Equine Pelletized Bedding pellets (horse bedding) you see at TSC are taxed. Interestingly, some folks do buy and use them for home heating purposes, despite the fact that they are taxed and generally cost more than heating pellets, unless on sale.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Do y'all pay tax on propane or that exempt too? I've never heard of any home heating fuel being tax free around here.

 

[pell it]

What brand of pellets is Sam's selling?

 

[JDenyer236]

Do y'all pay tax on propane or that exempt too? I've never heard of any home heating fuel being tax free around here.

It all depends on the state, and sometimes the locality within the state.

 

[briansol]

heating taxes are state (perhaps even county) controlled.

 

[RKBAGUY]

I wonder myself. I seem to recall last year that I got taxed on some pellets, not on others, depending on where I bought them. But OhioBurner's point is well taken - there's tax on electricity, too... so why not pellets? It seems it's a state-by-state thing, the same way some states tax clothing, others don't.

 

[ZBrooks]

Idaho does not charge sales tax on pellets.

 

[TimfromMA]

Pellets are also tax free here in Massachusetts.

 

[hossthehermit]

A couple years ago the place I buy mine started having people sign a list that they were for home use, not commercial ............

 

[Tonyray]

Home Depot charged tax on Stove chows I bought last winter,,[outside Phila..]
Actually, bought 2 tons last winter at 2 different times.
was NOT charged tax 1st time..
2nd time I was charged tax.. go figure..

 

[JDenyer236]

I wonder myself. I seem to recall last year that I got taxed on some pellets, not on others, depending on where I bought them. But OhioBurner's point is well taken - there's tax on electricity, too... so why not pellets? It seems it's a state-by-state thing, the same way some states tax clothing, others don't.

It's not just pellets. Heating fuels in many states are tax exempt to help people stay warm. Although in recent years there has been pressure to tax heating fuels to fill budget shortfalls. Some states tax electricity but usually after a certain numbers of kwh's.

 

[toastyinri]

Nope, never have. Neither should you have. Are they going to get back to you after they confirm with corp or do you have to chase this one?

They said they would have an answer from "corporate" by tonight. Next time I go in , I'll bring my receipt.

 

[toastyinri]

You know what.. I never checked if home depot did. I will when I get home!

I bought my initial 4 tons from Home Depot a couple of months ago....no sales tax charged .

Also bought 12 bags from Tractor Supply in Coventry, RI....no sales tax.

 

[toastyinri]

What brand of pellets is Sam's selling?

Pennington....I usually buy a few bags of them to burn in fall and spring because they don't burn as hot.

 

[rona]

I told the cashier that there is no tax on pellet fuel...never has been. She told me they were checking with "corporate"....nonsense Sam's club has been selling pellet fuel for a number of years.

Came home and called the manager of the store...got the same answer...they're checking with corporate and I'm not the only one who has complained.

Saving my sales receipt.

I wonder if Walmart is doing the same thing.....same "corporate" isn't it?

Anybody else get charged sales tax from a big box?

some states do charge sales tax on pellets Iowa does. Here in Minn the local menards had a clerk that tried it and her manager backed her. I think someone called the corporate office and that got changed real fast. Home heating fuel is not charged sales tax in Minn.

 

[MarkF48]

Tax laws can get weird. A few years back around Christmas my wife and I bought some large tin cans of popcorn that had a Christmas theme on the outside of the container. Normally all food for consumption is not taxed, including popcorn that would come in a bag. However since this popcorn was in a decorative gift container it was therefore deemed taxable under the Massachusetts state tax laws.

Were the purchased pellets packaged in a decorative gift container?

 

[TimfromMA]

Maybe the pellets are such crap that noone predicted anyone would actually try to burn them.