If you ventured online Monday for that deal on a great gift, you joined millions of Americans on Cyber Monday. Analysts are calling it the of the year. Many companies include Colorado sales tax on that purchase. But if they don鈥檛, it鈥檚 up to you to pay the state directly.
Companies with a physical presence in the state are required to charge sales tax. Other retailers without a location here? They probably aren鈥檛 going to charge you.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e getting ready to pay [online], you typically see how much sales tax you鈥檙e going to need to pay,鈥� said Ro Silva with the Colorado Department of Revenue鈥檚 Tax Division. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 see any sales tax being charged that鈥檚 where you need to pay [the] .鈥�
In 2010, Colorado which required extensive reporting requirements on e-retailers who don鈥檛 collect the state鈥檚 2.9 percent use tax on purchases.
The law is currently in legal limbo after being declared unconstitutional by a in 2012. A federal court of appeals in August overturned the ruling saying the lower court .
The law was passed to entice large e-retailers to start charging sales tax, despite not having a physical presence in Colorado.
However, Silva says, that has little impact on the everyday consumer who is still required to pay up just the same.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the obligation of all Colorado residents to pay sales tax, whether they do it right away at the time they purchase, or later in the form of [the] consumer use tax,鈥� she said.
So how do you take care of it? Residents can go to to file a consumer use tax return.
The 2.9 percent consumer use tax for 2013 is due April 15 of 2014. Which coincidentally happens to be tax day.
