Urban Art Association

ARR is not charged in the US so no on that. States have different sales tax rates, some have none while others charge, so depends where you’re buying from. If you’re not a resident of the State you normally don’t pay sales tax but of course you may need to pay VAT or import duty depending on the rules in your tax jurisdiction, this is payable on import into the buyer’s country. 

US buyers buying in the UK will not have to pay VAT on the buyers premium but will have to pay ARR which is calculated on a sliding scale based on the value and ranges between 0.25-4.00% for works over £1,000. 

If you’re referring to the fact that some of the works in this auction were subject to an additional 5% VAT (the US collection), this is not a tax charged by the US, this is VAT charged on import by HMRC for UK buyers only. If the artwork goes anywhere else in the world once sold then this will not be charged but the buyer could be charged VAT by their tax authorities on import. 

U.K. sale - ARR is charged and VAT on the buyers premium if the piece stays in the U.K. If it is exported no VAT is due but it will be subject to import duty in the country is exported to which typically will be higher.

US Sale - no ARR as this is a European scheme but if sales tax is charged it can only be reclaimed in certain states if it it to be exported. NY and CA most notably do not allow reclaiming of sales tax. If the item is imported in to the U.K. then import duty levied at 5% will be due. This rate is higher in most mainland European counties.

All of the prints in the auction came from a single US based collection.