Posted on 04/16/2009 9:09:31 AM PDT by Snoopers-868th
If a little-known but influential alliance of state politicians, large retailers, and tax collectors have their way, the days of tax-free Internet shopping may be nearly over.
A bill expected to be introduced in the U.S. Congress as early as Monday would rewrite the ground rules for mail order and Internet sales by eliminating what its supporters view as a "loophole" that, in many cases, allows Americans to shop over the Internet without paying sales taxes.
Currently, Americans who shop over the Internet from out-of-state vendors aren't always required to pay sales taxes at the time of purchase. Californians buying books from Amazon.com or cameras from Manhattan's B&H Photo, for example, won't pay sales taxes at checkout time that they would if shopping at a local mall.
"We will have the bill ready for introduction by next Monday," said Neal Osten of the National Conference of State Legislatures. "We finalized the language and now we're working out the remaining issues and adding some new provisions at the request of various stakeholders."
This is hardly a new debate: pro-tax officials and state governments have been pressing Congress to enact such a law for at least seven years. They argue that reduced sales tax revenue threatens budgets for schools and police, and say that, as a matter of fairness, online retailers should be forced to collect the same taxes that brick-and-mortar retailers do.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.zdnet.com ...
The ideal solution would be no taxes — the second-best solution is fair taxation.
Removing your sarc because what you said is true.
I think theyr’e already taxed here in NYS....You’re only allowed so many (I think two) per year.
Funny the level the playing field always seems to fall to businesses benefit. Business is able to hire illegals, go across the border of a state and hire yet a private citizen is not able to purchase across state lines without this crap. I am not anti-business but I have no compunction to level their playing field that is part of competition.
When you speak of leveling the playing field, you speak like a lib..
Amazon uses no local services other than maybe the road for UPS to deliver your purchase on while the local retailer uses many. A more sensible rule for purchasing items through the mail would be to charge tax based on the sales location rather than the purchase location. That way Amazon only has to worry about one tax rate rather than tens of thousands of little towns' rates. Also, states will be fighting (with tax incentives) to get business to move in. Imagine a state saying we will waive the sales tax on Amazon if they move here.
I have a real problem as to why I cannot purchase something from any other state without being charged sales taxes. Sales taxes of a state are intended as revenue for that particular state. When that particular state hires their workers out of state via contractual workers those same workers spend their money out of state and that seems o.k. but I cannot purchase out of state. This is just plain not right.
Many states have laws on the books that actually mandate you report such transactions and pay the tax due with your income taxes. I don’t know anyone who does here in Arkansas - though this is mandated. This would be difficult to enforce.
Thus the reason the tax pigs want to force retailers to collect tax at time of sale. Can you imagine a fairly small internet retailer trying to keep up with and properly file/submit tax receipts, not just for 50 states, but for the thousands of counties, and the insane number of local taxes? Would drive many out of business.
More taxes, shut down small businesses - what a way to stimulate the economy!
In a word no. But beyond that they (rightly) do not consider the tea parties to be a threat to their power to plunder and squander (tax and spend). The number of people who took part in yesterday's demonstrations represent such a small part of the electorate that the politicians have no fear of getting kicked out of office at all. They are already aware that there is a minority of people who wouldn't whizz down their throats if their guts were on fire. Seeing them gather in person doesn't add to their numbers.
If they saw that many at a gun rights rally then there might be some fear in their larcenous hearts, but only because they know as did chairman Mao that "power grows like a flower out of the barrel of a gun."
In most states, a purchaser is still responsible for paying those taxes. This would force merchants to set up tax collection for hundreds, if not thousands of different tax rates and tax authorities.
Think of all the different sales tax rates. Some states have state, city and county sales taxes that vary within zip codes. Some even have special regional tax authorities on top of these.
It will be a bonanza for IT companies that sell tax collection software.
The more they spread the wealth, the more they need to tax us to death.
The more corrupt they get, the more they tax us.
Then we need to have NRA tea parties. Somehow we have to get the point across.
I don’t know of any permit requirements here in California..
But I am sure that might be fourth coming....
I bought online from B&H photo and saved a pretty good chunk of change.
Me too. Computers,cameras ipods. Oh well they only have themselves to blame as “they” as a voting block sided with Dear Leader.
You know what, all of this is just gone beyond the reasoning as you write it. I am sick of every single fee and tax that they add. I don’t much care who it helps or hurts anymore. I care about MY wallet just like business, the feds and the states care about theirs. Call me selfish.
Don't know how much they are.....
You're shopping on the wrong websites. If you can wait a few days longer or spend over $25, you can get it for free.
Are you saying that conservatives prefer sloping playing fields?
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