Understanding Use Tax in North Carolina

What is use tax in North Carolina?
Use tax is a tax due on purchases, leases, and rentals of tangible personal property and certain digital property purchased, leased or rented inside or outside this State for storage, use, or consumption in North Carolina. Use tax is also due on taxable services sourced to North Carolina. 4 days ago
Read more on www.ncdor.gov

You may be familiar with sales tax while making purchases in North Carolina, but are you also familiar with use tax? Items bought for use in North Carolina but not subject to sales tax are subject to use tax. In essence, it’s a means for the state to get its taxes back on things that people bought online or out of state without paying sales tax on. What is the North Carolina sales and use tax? As of 2021, North Carolina’s combined sales and use tax rate is 4.75%. This indicates that the rates for use and sales taxes are equal. The tax is levied on the purchase or use of certain services, digital property, and tangible physical property in the state of North Carolina. In addition to the state rate, the state additionally permits particular counties and municipalities to impose additional local sales and use taxes. What Does a Use Tax Example Look Like? When a resident of North Carolina orders furniture from an out-of-state merchant and has it delivered to their residence there, such transaction can be subject to a use tax. The resident would be liable for the use tax on the item if the out-of-state retailer did not charge sales tax. The usage tax would have the same 4.75% rate as the state’s sales tax. What Exactly Does “Purchase for Use” Mean? Any item purchased with the aim to utilize it in North Carolina is referred to as a buy for use. Items bought online or from out-of-state merchants who did not charge sales tax fall under this category. The buyer is liable for paying use tax if they buy something for use in North Carolina but no sales tax was applied.

Does North Carolina Assess Sales Tax on Purchases Made Outside the State? While North Carolina does not collect sales tax from purchases made outside of the state or made online, residents are still required to pay use tax on these purchases. The use tax rate is 4.75%, which is the same as the state sales tax.

In summary, use tax is a significant consideration when buying goods in North Carolina. It makes sure that taxes are paid by the state on goods bought outside of the state or online without a sales tax being added. It is crucial to keep in mind that use tax must be paid on any items you buy for usage in North Carolina even if sales tax was not applied.