Pre-orders for the 2018 MacBook Air and iPad Pro have kicked off on Apple.com, and because the devices are brand new, we won't see discounted prices on them for a while. Still, third-party retailers like B&H Photo offer the chance to save a bit of money at the onset of your new Apple purchase, depending on the state you live in.
According to B&H Photo's guidelines, the retailer currently collects sales taxes in Alabama, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Vermont, Washington (state), and Wisconsin. For all non-listed states, residents won't have to pay sales taxes on orders placed within those states, although B&H Photo informed me that more states will be added to the tax collection list soon.
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B&H Photo is selling 24 models of the new MacBook Air, including quite a few custom configurations. According to a company representative, customers can expect launch day shipping for all base models of the new products, but it's not a guarantee. Some devices indicate a shipping date of November 8 and later, following Apple's launch on November 7.
Note: B&H Photo appears to be dealing with a traffic volume issue, so some links may appear temporarily broken, but they all should work after a few refreshes.
For MacBook Air, the full list can be found on B&H Photo, and we've provided a few below:
- 1.6 GHz / 8GB RAM / 128GB SSD - $1,199.00
- 1.6 GHz / 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD - $1,399.00
- 1.6 GHz / 8GB RAM / 512GB SSD - $1,599.00
- 1.6 GHz / 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD - $1,799.00
The retailer also has numerous configurations of the Mac mini up for pre-order already:
- 3.6 GHz / 8GB RAM / 128GB SSD - $799.00
- 3.0 GHz / 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD - $1,099.00
- 3.6 GHz / 32GB RAM / 128GB SSD - $1,399.00
- 3.6 GHz / 32GB RAM / 512GB SSD - $1,799.00
- 3.2GHz / 64GB RAM / 2TB SSD - $4,099.00
Lastly, you'll find Apple's new iPad Pro on B&H Photo as well:
- 11-inch / 64GB / Wi-Fi - $799.00 (Wi-Fi + Cellular for $949.00)
- 11-inch / 256GB / Wi-Fi - $949.00 (Wi-Fi + Cellular for $1,099.00)
- 11-inch / 512GB / Wi-Fi - $1,149.00 (Wi-Fi + Cellular for $1,299.00)
- 11-inch / 1TB / Wi-Fi - $1,549.00 (Wi-Fi + Cellular for $1,699.00)
- 12.9-inch / 64GB / Wi-Fi - $999.00 (Wi-Fi + Cellular for $1,149.00)
- 12.9-inch / 256GB / Wi-Fi - $1,149.00 (Wi-Fi + Cellular for $1,299.00)
- 12.9-inch / 512GB / Wi-Fi - $1,349.00 (Wi-Fi + Cellular for $1,499.00)
- 12.9-inch / 1TB / Wi-Fi - $1,749.00 (Wi-Fi + Cellular for $1,899.00)
Lastly, B&H Photo has the second generation Apple Pencil up for pre-order at $129.00, also matching Apple's price. On Apple.com, you can also order a few accessories for the new MacBook Air and iPad Pro, including the Leather Sleeve, Smart Keyboard Folio, and Smart Folio.
Top Rated Comments
Just because your state is not listed and B&H doesn’t collect sales tax does not mean you do not owe it. It gets reported on your state return at the end of the year. I have had many clients getting letters lately from states that require retailers give them out of state customer purchases. Purchase wisely.
Source: CPA who hates state taxation
However, it is still up to the states and their legislatures to actually pass and implement a revised tax law. The Supreme Court decision did not magically change the tax code in all 50 states. All it did was remove any restrictions that may have prohibited states from collecting tax on Internet purchases.
I don't know all of the details, but I highly doubt that every state has passed a new tax law already. It's only been a few months since the Supreme Court decision.
Hard pass on B&H
One example off the top of my head, NewEgg sent a list of all purchases >$1,500 to one state which then sent out sales tax collection notices to those purchasers.
As someone who wants a smooth road to drive on and my refuse/recycling picked up weekly, I understand taxes are a necessary evil. These MR posts on how to avoid paying your fair share in taxes are mildly infuriating to me.