The full study can be downloaded for free here: Is Online Sales Tax as Important to Consumers as Retailers Think?
Key Highlights:
Online sales tax prevalence
- 44% of online buyers reported paying sales tax on their order.
- Health & Beauty purchases had the highest percentage of customers who paid sales tax (58%), while Electronics had the lowest percentage (28%).
How sales tax factors into the purchase decision
- 59% of online buyers considered sales tax when making their purchase, though it is most often considered as a factor of total cost.
- The importance of sales tax changes depending on the purchase for 67% of online buyers, while 9% always consider it important.
- 22% of those who paid sales tax considered aborting their purchase, but factors other than cost ended up being more important to most of these customers.
- Of those who did not pay sales tax, 36% would have purchase from the same retailer even if sales tax was charged, as their decision was based on other factors. For another 39%, the decision would be based on total cost as opposed to just looking at the sales tax.
