It depends on what state you live in, and if EBGames has major distributors in your area. If I remember right, their main HQ for ages was in PA, so while I lived in PA I had to pay sales tax on online orders because I was technically buying from a business in the same state, the transaction never crossed state lines.

Also, if you're not going to pre-purchase based on sales tax... umm... you pay it at the store too.

One way to avoid it, unless you live in MI, is to preorder the CD version straight from Stardock.
https://www.galciv2.com/purchase.aspx?game=galciv2

Second "Buy This Game" button, the one with "+S/H" next to it.

Well... Since EB/GameStop has storefronts in (at least) nearly every state, you'll probably be stuck paying sales tax. It's the law. Living in Georgia, I have to deal with this on any EB/GameStop orders myself.

It doesn't really have anything to do with distributor's. The only stipulation that a company needs to charge you tax is that they have a store in the state in which you live. So if there is an EB store in philly and you live in Pittsburg, you get charged tax. In reality though, online stores are supposed to charge state tax no matter where they are and where you live. The law is not enforced though because many of the online stores are located offshore. So it becomes very difficult to enforce and the law gets kind of weird. Consequently, If you purchase anything on the internet, even though you are not charged sales tax, the law states that you are still legally obligated to pay your state the tax owed from the purchase. Some online stores will charge you state tax appropriate to the state in which you live and then pass it along to your state tax department as they are obligated to do. They will do this even if they don’t have a store in your state. The reason for this is a personal choice by the company to uphold the law even though it isn’t enforced. I know... some people are such goody two shoes!

Also, I don't know about other states, but in MI if you spend more than a certain amount per year on on-line sales and are not charged sales tax, you have to put that in your tax form and pay at the end of the year anyway.

I'm glad I live in UK, sounds like too much of a hassle

Also, I don't know about other states, but in MI if you spend more than a certain amount per year on on-line sales and are not charged sales tax, you have to put that in your tax form and pay at the end of the year anyway.

Really? Yikes.

I'm glad I live in UK, sounds like too much of a hassle

No, you have to pay VAT on most if not everything - which is more than most if not all of the US sales taxes

In Ohio you're required to pay 'use tax' on all internet/mail orders on which you are not charged sales tax

NJ also, and I suspect every other state which has a sales tax

Like the Staet IRC really keeps track of all internet sales. It;'s impossible. Maybe they could keep tabs on larget tab items like cars and boats, but unlikely they could keep track of $30 and $40 sale items.