Utahns will pay more for gas, online purchases in new year

January 2, 2019 Utah Channel 3

ST. GEORGE — New Utah tax law changes took effect New Year’s Day that will have you paying a little more when you shop online and fill up your gas tank.

Packages travel on a conveyor belt for sorting at the main post office in Omaha, Neb., Dec. 14, 2017. Utah and other states can now require shoppers to pay sales tax when they make online purchases. | Associated Press file photo by Nati Harnik, St. George News

The Utah State Tax Commission issued a series of bulletins Tuesday regarding the tax increases.

Online sales tax

The days of being able to buy something on eBay and other online retailers without paying state sales tax is coming to an end.

2018’s Senate Bill 2001, titled Online Sales Tax Amendments, requires that out-of-state retailers now collect sales tax on online purchases that are Utah-bound.

The new law repeals previous arrangements the state made with online or remote retailers to voluntarily collect sales tax that did not have a physical presence within Utah.

Gas tax

Drivers will be paying a little more at the gas pump this year. Utah has set its gas tax rate at 16.5 percent and state law requires the calculations for it be redone each year, which results in an increase of 0.6 cents for 2019.

The overall state gas tax for gasoline and diesel fuel is set at 30 cents.

Beaver County tax hike for roads and public transit

Plan to visit Beaver County? You’ll be paying an additional 0.25 percent sales tax for highway and public transit funding.

The tax hike is a part of a funding option provided by the state that will also become available to individual municipalities in counties that chose not to enact the sales tax option by June 20. The municipalities will be able to exercise the sales tax option on June 30, 2020.

A SunTran bus shows off its new look at the 2018 Dixie Regional Transportation Expo, Feb. 13, 2018 | File photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

The sales tax option has been touted as a way to fund public transit expansion in Washington County. However, Washington County Commissioner Victor Iverson has stated the county is not in favor of enacting the tax.

Transient room tax

Washington City has enacted a 1 percent tax increase on rents for lodging, such as short-term rentals and motels, that provides public accommodations for less than 30 days.

“The municipality transient room tax is in addition to any county transient room tax and other state and local taxes,” the bulletin states.

The total transient room tax rate in Washington City for 2019 is 5.57 percent.

Email: mkessler@stgnews.com

Twitter: @MoriKessler