pvfpaul77 wrote:...... But you can still get the tax refunded before you leave the country.
I had heard you could get the tax back, but only if it is over $100, which it won't be on an iPad. However I'm not sure it is possible because of the fact that there are state tax and local (county) taxes collected by different bodies. That would make it a nightmare to find out who would repay it.
Unlike in the UK where the greedy buggers at HMRC get the whole 20% VAT ):
Some US stores offer discounts to international visitors - Macy's gives 10% which is a bit better than the NY sales tax of 8.8% so that's the best option. I'm sure some others do too.
Cheers
Martin