Sales Tax on DISH Network Satellite Programming in your state

[BobMurdoch]

New Jersey.
I've got a 60 cent tax on my bill, which I have NO idea as to how they are determining it. We have a 6% statewide sales tax, which would seem to make $10 of my bill taxable (which now blows by $200 month thanks to Extra Innings). I have 5 receivers active, which I own (I do not lease). Since it is only 60 cents a month I haven't made a fuss, but I can't for the life of me figure out what they consider "taxable".

 

[Pablo_New]

PA - 6% sales tax on total bill including programming. I've had this since I first signed with E* back in 1998. At that time I was told that since Dish Net had a "presence" in the form of a call center in PA, they were obligated to charge state sales tax. For a few years, I went to the dark side and had Adelphia cable and they only charged sales tax on equipment. Go figure.

No specific satellite tax.

 

[davhol]

Utah 6.25%

Actual amounts vary by county. Base is 6% plus county taxes. Utah County, Utah adds .25% making 6.25%

 

[angiodan]

My "second" home in Montana has no satellite tax.

 

[wied]

In Texas 6.25% on entire bill.

 

[Derwin0]

My home in Georgia has no tax on satellite. Georgia only taxes goods, not services.

 

[chaddux]

In Texas 6.25% on entire bill.

I've already covered Texas and that is not accurate. It's not a flat rate for the entire state. As I said already, it varies depending on local tax rates. It even says "State/Local Tax" on the bill.

 

[cdru]

I pay annually, so I had to go back a few months to verify, but Indiana sales tax is 6% and applies to all Programming (AT120, Supers, HD Pack) and Pay-per-Views. Also, Indiana state tax applies to the Additional Receiver Fee, but not the Extended Warranty, nor does it apply to the $5 downgrade fee.

No need to verify. Indiana charges 6%.

 

[uroberto]

I live in New Jersey, I have no taxes on my bill. My brother who lives near me has Dish network, but I think he leases his equipment and pays a little bit of tax. I think it's less that $1.

 

[bcshields]

Delaware:
No sales tax
No satellite tax
No deposit on cans
Pretty, moderately populated beaches

and my parents wonder why I won't move back to Massachusettes.

 

[BFG]

except you got that pretty steep toll to cross the stupid bridge...

 

[TuxCoder]

From Wayne's World

Delaware:
...
Pretty, moderately populated beaches

We can be magically whisked away to...
Delaware. Hi... we're in Delaware...

 

[RBBrittain]

Arkansas: 6% state sales tax on entire bill; no satellite tax.

Though Arkansas local sales taxes (1.5% in Little Rock) legally apply to anything that is taxable under the state sales tax law (which includes both cable and satellite service), the Arkansas tax authorities wrote in their regulations that Federal law prohibits ALL local taxes on satellite service, even sales taxes. So that may be where the discrepancies are. (And if your local taxes ARE on your satellite bill, you might want to have a talk with a local attorney or your attorney general's office.)

In Arkansas, government fees/taxes on satellite are less than half those on cable. Satellite customers pay only state sales tax; cable customers pay franchise fees (usually 5%) to the local government, plus state AND local sales taxes--which are assessed even on the franchise fee!

 

[bcshields]

except you got that pretty steep toll to cross the stupid bridge...

Which bridge? Delaware Memorial ($3 on Rt 95), Bay Bridge ($2.50 on Rt 50/301) or the Bay Bridge Tunnel ($12 Rt 13 to VA Beach)?

Leaving Delaware is free, coming back costs ya.

I personally hit a lesser toll farther up the Delaware River, either the Ben Franklin or Betsy Ross, don't remember... and then cross over to 95 in North Philly. Then I bypass all the toll traffic coming off the NJ Turnpike. If you time it so you don't hit rush hour it's an easy cruise to Route 1 to head south.

 

[uWILLknow]

The Truth about the Taxes:

Each state taxes differently; and there are different fields on which the tax applies. For example, some states such as Texas, have no tax on satellite, period.
Then there are states that don't tax on the service (programming), but will tax you on the leased equipment; so u will see about 30 cents in tax when ur bill is $47.99
some states only tax the ppv's.
The different fields they tax on range from the actual service to the lease to the ppv's. I'm not sure if there are other "dimensions". but I can find out.

I do know that Florida has a whopping 13% PLUS tax. People there compare it to Seattle's "sin" tax !

 

[ckgrick]

Washington State sales tax base rate is 6% plus local add ons. We have no current sales tax on satellite services, although it looks as if this is likely to change due to the state budget crunch (we have no personal income tax).

 

[onsiteSat]

Arizona NO satellite Tax But a 1.3% Useage Fee

 

[rsmith7]

San Diego, California = No Tax. One of my reasons to not go back to Time Warner.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Washington State sales tax base rate is 6% plus local add ons. We have no current sales tax on satellite services, although it looks as if this is likely to change due to the state budget crunch (we have no personal income tax).

Hopefully that idea will die before the session ends on Friday...

 

[Joe Capitano]

If this is any indication, consider it dead.

The portion of ESSB 6050 containing the Satellite Tax - a package of amendments that passed the House Finance Committee last Friday - was voted down today before the full bill went to a final vote.

I can't post the linkage since I am ineligible, but if you want to read the relevant part of the bill you can find it at the Access Washington website by doing a search for the bill number above.