High costs of firearm transfers

[ischia]

Not sure if this is the correct forum but here goes. Agreed to purchase an M&P airweight from a member here recently. THEN... Went to check on the transfer here in Washington state. WOW... transfer fee $60 PLUS 10% state sales tax. These added $110 to the $500 price of the piece. Ruined the deal and I did feel bad about not checking first but no way was the revolver worth $660.to me. Owner did not charge shipping ($25) but if he had we would be at $685. Too much! Have any other forum members experienced same ? These costs have killed my interest in collecting further but at 70 I have plenty of firearms. Thoughts?

Ischia

[steelslaver]

Is that transfer rate universal? My FFL guy charges me $20. But then no sales tax in Montana either. We

[arjay]

It's gone from $35 to $45 around here over the last several years

[HeyJoe]

we dont pay sales tax on guns being transferred in new york either. i pay $27 for a transfer of a handgun. Question.....how do they know how much you paid for the gun to base the sales tax on?

[Jimmyjones]

Prices vary from LGS to LGS around here. The one I use charges 'strangers' $60+ the CBI fee + tax, meaning he doesn't like doing transfers on firearms purchased elsewhere.

He charges me $20+CBI, but I'm a regular customer at his store.

[zipty6]

There's a kitchen-table FFL in town that does transfers for $10 if you're on one of the forums that he frequents. Other places around town run from $25 to $50.

The guy running the LGS about a mile away doesn't charge me if I'm willing to wait until everyone else has been helped. Being a regular has its benefits.

[Ray1970]

The guy I use just about all of the time charges $20. I know of a couple of other shoos that charge the same thing. Plus there is a state mandated $6 charge for the background check.

[Magneto]

The local FFL Pawn Shop I use charges $15 for long guns and $25 for handguns. He only charges tax if the gun is shipped from a dealer.
No tax on out of state purchases from private non-FFL sellers.
This is in Washington State

[BC38]

Sorry man but your FFL is ripping you off. In Spokane the transfer fees range from $15-$35. Anybody charging you $60 doesn't really want to do the transfers for people and is overcharging to discourage them from using their business to do it.

They also should not be charging you sales tax on the price of the gun, unless they are the one selling it to you. There is no mechanism under current WA law for them to pay those taxes to the state since they did not make the actual sale of the firearm. The state released the info on this shortly after I-594 was passed to clarify this question and notify everyone that they shouldn't be collecting sales tax on merchandise they did not sell. If they are charging you sales tax on the purchase of the gun then they are probably pocketing the money. They can charge you sales tax on the transfer fee, but that is it.

TECHNICALLY you are obligated to pay the sales tax directly to the state - in fact you are supposed to pay sales tax to the state on ANYTHING you buy online, and even on trades (barter deals) you make.

Yeah RIIIIIIGHT - like anybody is ever going to do that!

Anyhow, you need to find a different and better FFL - one that is interested in your business instead of only being interested in sucking every dollar they can out of your wallet.

[rwsmith]

$15 to 25 for transfers. People that don't charge as much get a lot of business as well as people coming in their stores.

[STCM(SW)]

"TECHNICALLY you are obligated to pay the sales tax directly to the state - in fact you are supposed to pay sales tax to the state on ANYTHING you buy online, and even on trades (barter deals) you make."

It's called a "User Tax" that is the same as the sales tax rate.
The guy I deal with is North West Pawn.
Can't seem to get around it anymore.
BC38, you have somebody who does in Spokane, let me know...

[Racer X]

I know of several shops who charge $20 in Seattle.

[WaywardSon]

We charge $20 for a transfer...don't care where the gun came from, and are glad to have the business. Why would you not be? A NICS background check, whether done online or with a phone call, takes literally minutes. The shop has no inventory costs and next to no labor cost. It is free money...hello.

[TTSH]

Best price for a basic, no-nonsense FFL transfer anywhere around my location is $20.00. More common price is $25 to $35. No one collects sales tax on a simple transfer because, among other reasons, there is often no way for them to know what you paid for it.

Some transfers can get unusually complicated because of our moonbat laws. In such cases the fee will be more like $55 to $75. That is the exception, not the rule.

[OLDSTER]

I've used the same two local FFL guys for long time, and they've both been $25 for at least the last 3-4 years

[LoboGunLeather]

Here in Pueblo, Colorado the FFL dealer I use for transfers charges me $30, which includes the mandatory background check. I consider that to be reasonable, and I consider these services to be a favor to me. In fact, I have been known to buy lunch for all of the shop's personnel from time to time as a "thank you" for helping me.

[Targets Guy]

I have access to a gun shop and a local gunsmith. The former charges me $15 for a transfer with no tax and the latter charges $10.

i feel very fortunate.

[sodacan]

If you buy new guns, especially the relatively inexpensive plastic stuff, adding the transfer costs makes no sense when you can buy locally. In many cases you end up over paying.

[PPS1980]

Anywhere from $0 to $50 here. If you are smart you check through Gunbroker.com No sales tax on weapon bought from out of state here in Georgia. I've bought 4 through FFL transfer and paid a total of $20 in transfer fees.

[Lee's Landing Billy]

I haven't paid a transfer fee in 20 years. All the local dealers are very nice to me. I don't see how anyone can charge a sales tax for something like this. How do they know how much you paid for it? If I send you a gun for free, how would they establish a value? I'm with the other men, find a new guy.

[eahicks]

My local FFL charges $10....sometimes he waived the fee if he's been delayed in connecting with me to do the transfer. Runs out of his house. Around here (DFW) there's a lot of "part time" FFLs.... just gotta look for them. My old FFL charged $20, then decided he need to raise it to $25. Said 'see ya'. Anything more than $20 is crazy to me.... for what, 5 minutes of me filling out a form and 2 minutes waiting for a yay or nay from Uncle Sam?


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[PPS1980]

Originally Posted by eahicks

My local FFL charges $10....sometimes he waived the fee if he's been delayed in connecting with me to do the transfer. Runs out of his house. Around here (DFW) there's a lot of "part time" FFLs.... just gotta look for them. My old FFL charged $20, then decided he need to raise it to $25. Said 'see ya'. Anything more than $20 is crazy to me.... for what, 5 minutes of me filling out a form and 2 minutes waiting for a yay or nay from Uncle Sam?


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Here in GA having a CWL eliminates the wait for the background check (and lowers the FFLs cost). I fill out 4473, they check it and ID, they make copies of IDs, they give me receipt of transfer. 5 minutes max.

[eahicks]

Originally Posted by PPS1980

Here in GA having a CWL eliminates the wait for the background check (and lowers the FFLs cost). I fill out 4473, they check it and ID, they make copies of IDs, they give me receipt of transfer. 5 minutes max.

Far as I know, TX too, but it's up the FFL discretion. Mine is just in the habit of doing so; I've asked him why, he just does it. Last time was very quick so I really don't care.


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[Kanewpadle]

One reason I don't buy on line.

Do your due diligence and shop around. Two local guns shops I frequent charge $25. Tax MUST be collected by the gun shop based on the value of the gun. If you were provided a receipt for the gun then the tax will be based on that. If not then the gun shop will determine the value and charge the tax. This is Washington State law.

If buying a new gun, shop around locally because by the time you pay shipping and transfer fees it usually ends up being the same cost. Collectible or hard to find guns are a different story.

[dben002]

$20.00 - $25.00 transfer fees in this part of the country. Sad to say you really got taken advantage of.

[jengelguns]

We charge $25, tax included.

[italiansport]

This to me is why the C&R license is so important . I assume(correctly?) that most of the membership here are collectors of classic guns which are C&R eligible. The only cost you should incur is shipment to your door if you have a C&R license.
And yes i know some States don't even recognize C&R licenses. IMO you should get busy to get this changed.
Jim

[H Richard]

I understand, as I sent a rifle to my son who lives north of Seattle. The Cabelas told me they would charge the sales tax, I mentioned it was "his" gun, I'm just mailing it to him. We did get a FFL at a range Just north of Marysville to transfer for $50, but agreed if it was already my son's rifle there was no sales tax. This was about 2 years ago. But neither one would accept it as a shipment from me (with a C&R FFL), I had to pay my local FFL to ship it. (Which only cost me the price of the shipping).

[PPS1980]

Originally Posted by Kanewpadle

One reason I don't buy on line.

Do your due diligence and shop around. Two local guns shops I frequent charge $25. Tax MUST be collected by the gun shop based on the value of the gun. If you were provided a receipt for the gun then the tax will be based on that. If not then the gun shop will determine the value and charge the tax. This is Washington State law.

If buying a new gun, shop around locally because by the time you pay shipping and transfer fees it usually ends up being the same cost. Collectible or hard to find guns are a different story.

Again, where you are that may be true. It's not everywhere.

Example: K2-45 from local shop that I frequent was $442 and that was there cost from the distributor because I get one weapon at cost per year as an annual range member. From CDNN it was $369. No tax and no transfer but $15 shipping put it at $384 to my hands. At $442 at the LGS it was $472.94 in my hands. So $88.94 less by having it shipped form Texas. I have several examples of such savings to offer that is the most recent for a BNIB weapon.

[gman51]

I learned the hard way about FFL transfer charges. You have to check the FFL for his price on transfers. I usually pay $25 per transfer and some FFL only charged me $15. So I used an FFL I had never used for a handgun transfer and I didn't check his price. When the gun came in he charged me $85 plus tax plus credit card 3%. Taught me an expensive lesson about getting prices of transfers before blindly using any FFL. Never again will I do that.
If I lived in one of the states that charge super high transfers then I would not be buying that way.

[ChattanoogaPhil]

$10 for Tennessee background check + $25 for FFL = $35

I could use an FFL for less than $25 but the guy I use is the president of our rifle club... so ya know... keep it in the family so to speak. The nice part is that it's a side business for him. I've never liked using a LGS for a transfer on a gun I bought online. Kinda like asking a painter to clean out someone else's bucket.... or maybe there's a better analogy.

[TTSH]

Originally Posted by PPS1980

Again, where you are that may be true. It's not everywhere.

Example: K2-45 from local shop that I frequent was $442 and that was there cost from the distributor because I get one weapon at cost per year as an annual range member. From CDNN it was $369. No tax and no transfer but $15 shipping put it at $384 to my hands. At $442 at the LGS it was $472.94 in my hands. So $88.94 less by having it shipped form Texas. I have several examples of such savings to offer that is the most recent for a BNIB weapon.

Which raises the whole question of how the heck dealers with low or no transfer fee stay in business with their best "frequent flyer" customers (like us) buying most or all their guns out of state.

[PPS1980]

Originally Posted by ChattanoogaPhil

$10 for Tennessee background check + $25 for FFL = $35

I could use an FFL for less than $25 but I the guy I use is the president of our rifle club... so ya know... keep it in the family so to speak. The nice part is that it's a side business for him. I've never liked using a LGS for a transfer on a gun I bought online. Kinda like asking a painter to clean out someone else's bucket.... or maybe there's a better analogy.

I hear you about LGSs but I have an alternative way of thinking about it. Unless they are slammed anything they make from the transfer is free money for them. They have fixed overhead and you are generating income that costs them nothing but time that their employees are already being paid for. Plus I always offer for them to beat the price before I buy online. Its a win for them.

[codenamedave]

$75 is typical around here, plus State DROS plus sales tax. The dealers always act like it's a huge inconvenience for them, and you should be glad they're doing it at all, for any price. I've read of some dealers charging less, but they're usually hundreds of miles away from me.

[the ringo kid]

Originally Posted by ischia

Not sure if this is the correct forum but here goes. Agreed to purchase an M&P airweight from a member here recently. THEN... Went to check on the transfer here in Washington state. WOW... transfer fee $60 PLUS 10% state sales tax. These added $110 to the $500 price of the piece. Ruined the deal and I did feel bad about not checking first but no way was the revolver worth $660.to me. Owner did not charge shipping ($25) but if he had we would be at $685. Too much! Have any other forum members experienced same ? These costs have killed my interest in collecting further but at 70 I have plenty of firearms. Thoughts?

Ischia

No law against backing out of a deal.

[the ringo kid]

Originally Posted by arjay

It's gone from $35 to $45 around here over the last several years

$20-t0$35 here-maybe more depending on what guy you know or what shop you go to. Luckily, I can get most of mine free from knowing certain gun dealers.

[boykinlp]

Originally Posted by rwsmith

$15 to 25 for transfers. People that don't charge as much get a lot of business as well as people coming in their stores.

Same for me.

[gman51]

One LGS I used for transfers made it plain to me after around 10 transfers that he didn't want my business. I guess he didn't want my business buying his new guns either because I obliged him and use another LGS who gladly does transfers for me. This LGS has made good money on the 6 guns I have bought from him besides the commissions on reselling some used guns on consignment.
Anyway the first LGS lost making any more money off me. I heard from some others they got treated the same way by this LGS. Word of mouth can cost a lot of business lost.

[NCW Ray]

ischia, unfortunately I think we're going to see higher and higher FFL transfer fees between individuals and for online purchases in Washington State.

According to Wa. State Law "9.41.115(3)(e) The licensed dealer may charge a fee that reflects the fair market value of the administrative costs and efforts incurred by the licensed dealer for facilitating the sale or transfer of the firearm."

Now who determines "the fair market value of the administrative costs and efforts"?

I know of one dealer in western Washington that charges $100 per serial number...they're raping the gun owners as bad as the Seattle Mayor is with his gun & ammo tax!!

[pawngal]

Myself, I charge $20 and happy to do the transfers.
Just checking on GB, the listed dealers within 50 miles charge $10 to $35.
Most are $20 or $25. Many are small or non-stocking dealers.

[TTSH]

Originally Posted by gman51

One LGS I used for transfers made it plain to me after around 10 transfers that he didn't want my business. I guess he didn't want my business buying his new guns either because I obliged him and use another LGS who gladly does transfers for me. This LGS has made good money on the 6 guns I have bought from him besides the commissions on reselling some used guns on consignment.

Clearly, he would have preferred that you bought all 16 guns there from him. Hard to blame him for feeling that way... yes, he "won" six sales, but he lost ten sales to reap just the transfer fee, if there was one. Which brings up another point: Around here, there are more than a few dealers who will not transfer in a brand new gun that you could have bought from their shop. Like it or not, I do get their point.

I go one step further and take the initiative myself. I never ask a stocking, "brick & mortar" dealer to accept the import of a gun, new or used, that he or she actually sells. This is inconvenient and even awkward at times, but I can't bring myself to do it. But before anyone pins a medal on me or chooses to diss me, I do know several dealers who are very keen on doing transfers. You could even say they specialize in doing transfers.

So, in the end, it is not a big deal to separate out my business. The stocking retail dealers get my local buy business. The dealers who choose to make their money mostly with transfers get my transfer business. Everyone ends up happy with no hard feelings.

[Rustyt1953]

Originally Posted by pawngal

Myself, I charge $20 and happy to do the transfers.
Just checking on GB, the listed dealers within 50 miles charge $10 to $35.
Most are $20 or $25. Many are small or non-stocking dealers.

The LGS's within artillery range of me feel and do the same as you. ($15-$25)

When I was in business, turning away money wasn't in my playbook.

[BigBoy99]

My FFL charges $20 but being with me being retired military, he knocks off $5 and there is no sales tax.

[Backlighting]

$20-25 at most shops here in Sin City.

[StakeOut]

The shop I use gets a flat $20 for a firearm shipped to him.

I use him mainly because he's a DAV.

[BigDog48]

Originally Posted by TTSH

Which raises the whole question of how the heck dealers with low or no transfer fee stay in business with their best "frequent flyer" customers (like us) buying most or all their guns out of state.

No inventory, hence no interest charged on money that would otherwise be somewhere else earning interest on investments and in many cases cheap (or no) cost of physical storefront.

[doublesharp]

$15 to $35 in Louisville area.

[4506517]

Had a guy that charged $25 bucks. Once he got his shop up and running he jumped to $50 and always had an attitude when he did the transfer. What a shame. I always spent at least $100 on ammo when I picked up. Oh well.....

Found a new guy that does it for $20. Doesn't matter if it is one gun or ten. $20.

Perhaps you should have done your homework first.

[hardcase60]

My experience around these parts is the price ranges from $15.00 to $50.00 with the average being $25.00. With me it's all about location. I'm not driving half way to San Antonio or Waco for an LGS to save $10.00 and end up spending two hours plus gas to do it. I have one who does $20.00 transfers plus sales tax on that amount, then there is the one that charges $25.00 without sales tax. So I asks the same question respectively "why do you" then the other "why don't you". Should have saved my breath. The one who does said the state required it and the one who didn't replied that he wasn't suppose to. Me, I just nodded and walked away. Both of these never have anything in stock that I'm interested in, so they understand and enjoy getting my money. Got a new LGS in Houston who is a close acquaintance. Had one shipped to him and he asked me what I was paying now. I replied $25.00. Next week I pick up the gun. If he charges me any more than $20.00, then he gets the entire next bar tab. We shall see. hardcase60

[Big E3]

I us a LGS that charges $25, but if you spend $25 in the store he’ll do them for free and just charges the state mandated $6 BGC. It’s a no brainer for me, might as well have $25 worth of something even if overpriced for free. I typically pick up one of his $40 stripped AR15 lowers since I’m already doing a BGC.