Chapter 1, Problem 13AP

Mr. and Mrs. Underhill operate a hardware store in a jurisdiction that levies both a sales tax on retail sales of tangible personalty and an annual personal property tax on business tangibles. The personal property tax is based on book value as of December 31. This year, Mr. and Mrs. Underhill purchased $840,000 of inventory for their store.

1. a. Are Mr. and Mrs. Underhill required to pay sales tax on the purchase of the inventory?
2. b. How can Mr. and Mrs. Underhill minimize their personal property tax by controlling the timing of their inventory purchases?