18+ Content Warning

By clicking Enter, you confirm you are 18 years of age or older and agree to comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Notice: Any content or member activity - including anything you may buy, sell, transfer, or discuss - must comply with current and upcoming laws.

Members are encouraged to stay informed: California Firearm Laws: 2026 Outlook & 2025 Recap . Responsibility for compliance rests solely with the individual member.

caguns.net

Welcome to CAguns.net!
Join our growing community where you can ask questions, share knowledge, or browse our classifieds section.

Sign up for a free account today and unlock full access! Once registered, you can search, post, and take advantage of exclusive features unavailable to guests.

A note on why more of the site now requires an account: automated scrapers and AI systems have been crawling our forums and classifieds at a scale. Requiring sign-in for those sections is the most effective tool we have. It takes a minute to register, it's free, and it keeps what happens here between actual members.

New to California gun ownership or trying to keep up with the changing laws? Check out our sister site CA2A.com — free courses, plain-English legal updates, and step-by-step guides built for California owners.

Advanced features are available only to registered members. Register today!

California's new 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition applies to private party transfers?!?!

Not to be a snitch or anything... but you can always call the CA DOJ's Bureau of Firearms for clarification on what a certain FFL told you.

I've been told they do follow up on inquiries and will go as far as "re-educating" FFLs if they go against the grain (such as rejecting PPTs or charging exorbitant dealer fees)...
 
As others have said, depends on the store. The boys behind the counter at the Stockton store basically want to see your Amex before even looking at the gun you're asking to see. They had a sale on Phenix fishing rods that got me in the store, but I was not left wanting to give them any gun business.
That's understandable on your part. It's total baloney on their part. Remember, Turner's is a corporate entity.
 
Not to be a snitch or anything... but you can always call the CA DOJ's Bureau of Firearms for clarification on what a certain FFL told you.

I've been told they do follow up on inquiries and will go as far as "re-educating" FFLs if they go against the grain (such as rejecting PPTs or charging exorbitant dealer fees)...
If a business collects a tax when in fact there was no need to collect said tax, what are they doing with the $$ collected? Might this be something that could lead to a tax fraud complaint/criminal charges? Imaging transacting a sale on an expensive firearm (I’m thinking a vintage H&H double) and having to pay thousands of dollars in this excise tax. That would be bad. Criminally bad.
 
I have yet to see this tax being charged in person. So far this is all been phone conversations with the store I also think that sometimes when we call the store, we just get whoever is available for the phone and maybe they don’t know? I’m gonna be doing a PPT this coming Sunday at Turner’s in Orange County. We’ll see if they charge the buyer the tax.
 
Either you’re asking the wrong thing, or all these stores are clueless (or wanting to add to their bottom line) PPT is exempt from the Screwsom tax, though consignment is not as the store is technically the seller with consignments.
 
I’m not paying an excise tax on a private party sale. Sorry, not sorry. I bought it for a dollar. Here’s your 11 cents.

I also refuse to buy ammo in CA. Suck it newscumb
 
Turner's is bigger than an average CA may think. They are part owners to Legacy Sports International, where Howa, Citadel, Pointer, Puma, Nikko Sterling products are from and also partially owned by disarmed Australians (guess where all their fudd-ness comes from.)

Citadel 1911 is made by RIA, complete separate company, but they may as well have a hand in that too.
 
If a business collects a tax when in fact there was no need to collect said tax, what are they doing with the $$ collected? Might this be something that could lead to a tax fraud complaint/criminal charges? Imaging transacting a sale on an expensive firearm (I’m thinking a vintage H&H double) and having to pay thousands of dollars in this excise tax. That would be bad. Criminally bad.
They are supposed to give it to the CDTFA or refund it to the customer. If they are just keeping it and not reporting it, they can definitely get in trouble for that.
 
I just got back from Turners doing a PPT. I was in and out in 1/2 hour and no excise tax. $47 out the door for the buyer. Super smooth. I did ask why they told me over the phone that the excise tax would apply to PPT’s, I got a shoulder shrug “some people here don’t know what’s happening sometimes “.
 
I don't believe half the crap that Google AI generates - it's often incorrect or just a "mash up" of results that they found over the internet. AI is not the answer to everything...

How could they apply the 11% sin tax on a PPT? Would they charge 11% on the $47.19 max charged for DROS + Dealer fee? Or would they have you declare a value on the firearm and charge 11% on that (like how the DMV asks private transactions to declare a value on the sale of a vehicle).

It could be that the FFL is telling you there's a 11% on PPTs to scare you away from doing the PPT there (FFLs can only charge up to $10 each PPT transaction per the CA DOJ), as there's little to no money in facilitating PPTs.

IMO, it just doesn't make sense. I'd suggest calling another FFL - maybe a non-chain, 2A-rights friendly one...
They are covering the butts and running ppts away from their business. A win win for them but I wouldn’t do business at a place that does that if I can help it.
 
I just got back from Turners doing a PPT. I was in and out in 1/2 hour and no excise tax. $47 out the door for the buyer. Super smooth. I did ask why they told me over the phone that the excise tax would apply to PPT’s, I got a shoulder shrug “some people here don’t know what’s happening sometimes “.
Not to crap on them because I do shop at Turners, but that's the problem with retail chains - they often have high turnover with employees so no one knows the better.

During my last transaction at a local Turners, it took 3 associates to figure out how to DROS 2 handguns in the same purchase for a FFL 03 + COE...
 
Back
Top Bottom