Buying during Visiting/Tourism

[StephenDS]

Hi all,

I gave this forum a good search, and was unable to determine the below. I hope someone can help.

I am a Canadian and will be visiting my cousin in Missouri City for a month - my first visit to USA. And I have heard that things are much cheaper in the States. So I do plan to buy simple things like clothes and perhaps one or two PS3 games (I'm a student and on a budget).

I know that I have to pay a duty while coming back to Canada if I buy over $750 -- which I won't exceed since I don't have that kind of money.

What I wanna know is can I get tax breaks or tax refunds from stores (WalMart, Target, etc..)? Someone in class mentioned that if I showed my Canadian Driver's License at any US store, then the 7% state tax is exempted?? Or do I have to save receipts and claim it when returning back to Canada??? As cheap as that sounds, I could really use all the tax breaks.

Some guide would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Stephen.

[agnelson]

I am not aware of any retailer that exempts sales tax in-store.

You mat be confucing the old program in canada whereby foreign vistors to canada could take their reciepts to customs as they left canada and get back GST.

This program is no longer, and there never was one in US.

[Reba]

sorry, taxes are as sure as death.

[Steven]

Not on sales tax, do what Americans do and mail order them and have them delivered while you are there, no sales tax usually if ordered from out-of-State, except in California.

[agnelson]

Sales tax exemption only applies when the retailer has no nexus (ie. store) in that state. So walmart, target, etc, would still charge tax.