Buds Gun Shop is using an 8% tax rate because it is a remote seller participating in Alabama's Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT) program. While Alabama's state sales tax is 4%, the SSUT is a flat 8% rate for remote sellers, which includes both state and local taxes.
Here is a breakdown of why the rate is different:
Traditional sales tax: If you buy something from a physical business in Alabama, the tax is a combination of the 4% state tax and varying local taxes. This can result in a combined rate of up to 13%, depending on the city and county.
Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT): To simplify things for out-of-state online vendors, Alabama created the SSUT program. Remote sellers like Buds can collect a single 8% tax on all sales to Alabama customers, regardless of the buyer's location within the state.
For your benefit: The 8% SSUT collected by remote sellers is often a lower rate than the combined state and local sales taxes you would otherwise pay, which can exceed 9% in some localities. The 8% SSUT also relieves you, the buyer, from any additional state or local use tax on that transaction.

Hello Jack,
BudsGuns charges an 8% flat sales tax on online orders shipped to Alabama because it participates in the state's Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT) program. Unlike the standard in-store sales tax of 4% plus local taxes, the SSUT program allows participating retailers to collect and remit a single 8% rate on all sales into Alabama, simplifying tax collection across different local rates.
Hope the above info helps Sir, please take care and stay safe 🙏🏻