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Business Taxes Law Guide—Revision 2024
Sales and Use Tax Annotations
A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T U V W X
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325.0000 Interstate and Foreign Commerce—Regulation 1620
Annotation 325.0088
(a) In General—Shipments Into California from Points Outside State
325.0088 Place of Sale—Sales vs. Use Tax. In determining the place of sale, you must first determine if there is a title clause. Unless such a title clause passes title sooner, title passes and the sale occurs when the seller completes its duties with respect to physical delivery of the property (Cal UCC 2401.) When delivery is by the seller's own facilities, the seller completes its duties with respect to physical delivery upon tender of the property to the purchaser. When delivery is by common carrier and the contract states "F.O.B. destination," the seller does not complete its duties with respect to physical delivery until the property is delivered at destination. Under such a contract, the sale occurs at destination unless the contract specifically states that title passes sooner. If the contract does not have an F.O.B. destination provision and delivery is by common carrier, the sale occurs upon the seller's tender of the property to the common carrier, unless the contract specifically passes title sooner.
If the sale takes place out of state, the only tax that can apply is use tax and the participation of an in-state sales office is irrelevant. On goods shipped to California by common carrier F.O.B. Destination (with no specific title passage clause), the sale takes place in California. Thus, the question of the participation by an in-state sales office needs to be resolved to determine if sales or use tax applies. 9/18/95.