Sweetwater now charging tax

Its not Sweetwater's fault, more and more states are hitting up online sellers for sales tax on items shipped to their state, the seller is just going to pass the tax on to the customer.

Considering the seller forwards the tax to the appropriate taxing/levying authority, yes, they are going to pass the tax onto the buyer. I don't get to keep the tax I collect on behalf of those agencies. They will come after me, shutter my shop and arrest me if I don't remit it.

"Hiding" the tax in their profit margin won't happen either for a few reasons. The big one being if you get out a "no sales tax" message via advertising it or simple word of mouth, you are imparting the message that you are conducting illegal commerce. Good way to have the IRS and your state and local revenue departments and agencies tearing your books apart with astonishing frequency. Plus it's a bad message to send from a marketing standpoint. Also, in the case of big box music retail like GC, MF, Sweetwater, they already operate on low profit per item margins supported by volume/quantity moved. There's not a lot of meat on that bone profit-wise to begin with.

Outside of what it means for governments who need $$$ to provide services on which taxpayers typically fund, many of you guys have no clue how many local small businesses were killed directly and indirectly by sales tax across state lines exemptions over the last 20 years. Not just music retailers, ALL sectors of retail. I'm personally glad to see the slight leveling of the playing field.