California Court of Appeal Affirms that Transactions Involving Out-of-State Title Transfer Are Subject to Local Use Tax, Not Local Sales Tax
Posted on Dec 19, 2018 in State and Local Tax
The California Court of Appeal affirmed a trial court decision finding that transactions involving an Internet retailer headquartered in Brisbane, California, were subject to local use tax, rather than local sales tax, because title in the transactions at issue passed outside California. The court explained that when a retail seller delivers goods to a common carrier at an out-of-state warehouse for shipment to a customer in California, title will pass to the buyer at the time and place that the retailer delivers the goods to the carrier, absent an agreement to the contrary.