The answer to the question, "Why did the dealer charge sales tax?" is simple. He charged sales tax because nobody had the nerve to tell him "NO" and nobody even had the nerve to ask if he really had to charge sales tax. People will charge anything they can get away with. Only a fool lets them get away with it. This forum is not the place to ask those questions. Standing in front of the cash register with your money in your hand is the correct place for that
What a life some must live where they assume the worst possible motive of everyone.
Couldn't possibly be that out the 500+ items for sale in a gun shop, only one of them (an FFL transfer fee that is really a fee for a service rather than a product offered for retail sale) isn't subject to Idaho sales tax and the cashier made an innocent mistake. Even gutshot admitted a few posts up that the 6% tax on a $20 transfer fee couldn't be much money. But then you turn around and claim a man sells his integrity for $1.20 by deliberately defrauding a customer? With no more evidence than that sales tax was charge on a small transfer fee when it wasn't technically due? That is a pretty bleak outlook on one's fellow human beings generally, and a fellow RKBA supporter (I'll expect most gun store owners/cashiers are at least nominally pro-RKBA) specifically.
And of course, the buyer must be assumed to be "a moron" rather than simply somewhat unawares of the intricacies of Idaho State sales tax law.
And to refresh memories, the OP's question was "Anyone here been charged sales tax on an in Idaho FFL firearm transfer fee? "
That was followed up with several posters claiming the FFL was actually "selling" the gun to the buyer. Under Idaho law and the particulars of the OP's situation, those claims appear to be materially false. Yet you avoid calling any of those posters "morons", reserving your snide comments for the guy you have personality issues with.
The OP has posted his interactions with the gun shop since asking his original question. That interactions lends some support to the notion that the charging of sales tax when it was not due was not malicious, merely unknowing.
Why do some folks have to be so unpleasant or assume the worst about others? A fellow gun owner asked a question about sales tax on a service in Idaho. Maybe he learned something about not only the tax but about making sure the particulars of a deal are fully understood and agreed to before getting in too deep. What could possibly be gained by some posters behaving so poorly toward the OP?
I remember when the experienced old timers were happy to pass along a little of their wisdom without condemning the guy who would benefit, without castigating him for his inexperience or ignorance, but rather were happy to encourage and uplift. In my real life interactions, that continues to be true among gun owners, horse people, dirt bikers, hot rodders, and most others who are passionate about something. I wonder if maybe the media of discussion forums just brings out the worst in some folks.
Charles