Tax

[moposh]

Alaska doesn't have a sales tax, but I know that cities can. Anyone know tax rate in some of the Alaskan cities? Like Anchorage, Denali, Talkeetna, Seward, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan?

 

Is tax on everything or is anything exempted? Thanks.

[AKStafford]

Anchorage, Denali, Talkeetna, Seward, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan?

None in Anchorage or Talkeetna.

7% in Seward

Juneau is 5%

Skagway is 5%

Ketchikan 8.5%

I think Denali is 7%, but I could be wrong on that one.

 

There's also bed tax for your hotel rooms. Anchorage is 12% and Talkeetna is 5%. I'm not sure of the others.

Edited February 7, 2014 by AKStafford

[sherryf]

A quick Google search provided this: http://www.sale-tax.com/Alaska

 

Searching specific cities will give you more detailed information, such as Juneau: http://www.juneau.org/finance/taxinfo.php

 

Google is your friend!:D

[moposh]

None in Anchorage or Talkeetna.

7% in Seward

Juneau is 5%

Skagway is 5%

Ketchikan 8.5%

I think Denali is 7%, but I could be wrong on that one.

 

There's also bed tax for your hotel rooms. Anchorage is 12% and Talkeetna is 5%. I'm not sure of the others.

 

Thanks so much. I'm on a landtour in Anchorage and Talkeetna and Denali so I don't have to worry about the tax. 8.5% in Ketchikan?! Yikes!

[bearbait]

Ketchikan is in the process of raising their sales tax rates. So be prepared.

[donaldsc]

Thanks so much. I'm on a landtour in Anchorage and Talkeetna and Denali so I don't have to worry about the tax. 8.5% in Ketchikan?! Yikes!

 

You are going to spend maybe $5000 for the cruise with everything. If you buy something in Ketchikan for say $500, you will be paying $42.50 tax. That is 0.85% of your total cruise cost. I consider that to be round off error.

 

Now if you buy something for several thousand dollars, the tax will be considerable. What I would do then is to decide what you want but to not buy it in the store. Instead stand outside of the store and call them and have it shipped home. Usually if something is shipped, you do not pay tax but you will have to pay shipping charges.

 

If you buy a small item, shipping charges should be low. Now, if you are planning to buy a full sized totem pole, you will have to work it out.

 

We have our favorite salmon store in Ketchikan that we go to every time we are there and we buy several hundred dollars worth of salmon. It is going to be shipped home regardless of whether we buy in the store or call them so we always use the call-outside-the-store method.

 

DON

[CowPrincess]

>SNIP<

We have our favorite salmon store in Ketchikan that we go to every time we are there and we buy several hundred dollars worth of salmon. It is going to be shipped home regardless of whether we buy in the store or call them so we always use the call-outside-the-store method.

 

DON

 

Just wondering why you don't order it over the internet from the comfort of your home and request a specific shipping date?

[donaldsc]

Just wondering why you don't order it over the internet from the comfort of your home and request a specific shipping date?

 

I have done that also several times. However, I like chatting w the owner - he is a neat guy. The last time were were there, he told us not do go outside and call this time. He just discounted the salmon so we effectively paid no sales tax.

 

DON

[CowPrincess]

Thanks donaldsc, I totally understand wanting to visit with the owner :) Glad he cut you a break and you didn't have to stand outside and phone :D

[moposh]

Ketchikan is in the process of raising their sales tax rates. So be prepared.

 

Good grief! I don't think I will be. Better save more money.

[moposh]

You are going to spend maybe $5000 for the cruise with everything. If you buy something in Ketchikan for say $500, you will be paying $42.50 tax. That is 0.85% of your total cruise cost. I consider that to be round off error.

 

Now if you buy something for several thousand dollars, the tax will be considerable. What I would do then is to decide what you want but to not buy it in the store. Instead stand outside of the store and call them and have it shipped home. Usually if something is shipped, you do not pay tax but you will have to pay shipping charges.

 

If you buy a small item, shipping charges should be low. Now, if you are planning to buy a full sized totem pole, you will have to work it out.

 

We have our favorite salmon store in Ketchikan that we go to every time we are there and we buy several hundred dollars worth of salmon. It is going to be shipped home regardless of whether we buy in the store or call them so we always use the call-outside-the-store method.

 

DON

 

I can't imagine that I will be buying anything that costs $500. Certainly no salmon for me.

[moposh]

A quick Google search provided this: http://www.sale-tax.com/Alaska

 

Searching specific cities will give you more detailed information, such as Juneau: http://www.juneau.org/finance/taxinfo.php

 

Google is your friend!:D

 

Thanks so much!

[moposh]

The current (and Dec, 2013) total local sales tax rate in Ketchikan, AK is 3.500%. And is says zero for Skagway.

[sherryf]

8.5% in Ketchikan?! Yikes!

 

It's still less than the 9.5% I'm used to at home in the Seattle area. The others seem minuscule to me by comparison.

[greatam]

It's still less than the 9.5% I'm used to at home in the Seattle area. The others seem minuscule to me by comparison.

 

I wonder where the OP lives. In the high 7's-low 8's is about the US average now. Even the very inexpensive Northern Missouri area has sales tax of 6.5-7%. And depending on which city you buy stuff in in Arizona, the sales tax can be up to 9.72%

[moposh]

I wonder where the OP lives. In the high 7's-low 8's is about the US average now. Even the very inexpensive Northern Missouri area has sales tax of 6.5-7%. And depending on which city you buy stuff in in Arizona, the sales tax can be up to 9.72%

 

My sales tax is 6%. It was 5% for MANY MANY years until our governor decided he needed more money. :mad: The surrounding states are 5% and 6%.

[AKStafford]

The current (and Dec, 2013) total local sales tax rate in Ketchikan, AK is 3.500%. And is says zero for Skagway.

 

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough (a borough is our version of a county, kinda...) has a 2.5% sales tax. The City of Ketchikan has an additional 6% sales tax for a total of 8.5%.

http://www.ketchikanchamber.com/economic-development/ketchikan-tax-information

 

From the Skagway Chamber website: Skagway's current general sales tax rate is 5% for the months April through September, 3% for the months October through March and hotel room tax is 8%.

http://www.skagwaychamber.org/salestax.html

Edited February 10, 2014 by AKStafford

[bearbait]

The current (and Dec, 2013) total local sales tax rate in Ketchikan, AK is 3.500%. And is says zero for Skagway.

 

 

The current rate is 8.5%. The City sales taxes is 6.0% and then they have an added Borough tax of 2.5%.

 

The current city council is asking for an increase in their portion of the sales tax as well.