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Prepare to pay more for gas and stuff you buy online with Utah’s tax law changes

Posted at 10:29 AM, Jan 01, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-01 12:29:47-05

SALT LAKE CITY — A series of new tax law changes take effect on New Year’s Day, which mean you will pay more for some things.

Utah State Tax Commission bulletins issued on Tuesday show the state is now making online sales tax collection mandatory. Consumers will start seeing emails from online retailers notifying them they will have to start collecting the tax. We were always supposed to pay it, but most people never did.

With the tax collection becoming mandatory, the state is ending deals it struck with a long list of retailers including Amazon, eBay, Zappos, etc. FOX 13 reported on the deals struck with dozens of online retailers back in May.

“Among other things, SB 2001 repeals the 18 percent seller discount Utah offered remote sellers who voluntarily collected and paid Utah sales tax. The repeal is effective for sales occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2019,” the tax bulletin states.

A reconfiguration of the gas tax means Utahns will pay slightly more in 2019. Every year, the state is required to redo the formula set at 16.5 percent. That means this year you’ll pay .6 cents more. The Utah State Tax Commission has set the gas tax at 30 cents a gallon.

Beaver County has given notice it intends to hike sales tax by .25% to fund highway and public transit beginning New Year’s Day.

“Henefer and Coalville (Summit County), Pleasant Grove (Utah County) and Washington City (Washington County) will impose the municipality transient room tax at 1 percent starting Jan. 1, 2019. The total transient room tax in Henefer and Coalville will then be 4.32 percent. The total transient room tax in Pleasant Grove and Washington City will then be 5.57 percent,” the Utah State Tax Commission said.