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Congress jumps into 'Amazon sales tax' issue
The Orange County Register ^ | 8/1/2011 | Jan Norman

Posted on 08/01/2011 10:20:54 AM PDT by So Cal Rocket

Three Democrats have introduced a federal bill that would require online retailers such as Amazon.com to collect states' sales taxes.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill) and Representatives John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) call their proposal that was introduced July 29 the Main Street Fairness Act.

Amazon.com, which has been fighting individual states – including California – over efforts to require online retailers to collect state and local sales tax, is supporting the bill, according to a letter to Durbin from Amazon.com Vice President for Global Public Policy Paul Misener.

(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: California; US: Illinois; US: Michigan; US: Vermont
KEYWORDS: amazon; california; congress; conyers; democratcorruption; democrats; durbin; govtabuse; illinois; liberalfascism; liberals; michigan; progressives; socialistdemocrats; statesrights; taxcheatparty; taxes; tyranny; vermont; welch
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1 posted on 08/01/2011 10:20:58 AM PDT by So Cal Rocket
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To: So Cal Rocket

Easily the most Orwellian title for an overreach-and-tax bill I’ve yet seen.


2 posted on 08/01/2011 10:23:56 AM PDT by Future Snake Eater (Don't stop. Keep moving!)
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To: So Cal Rocket

When you see anything with the word FAIR in it—you know where it’s coming from.


3 posted on 08/01/2011 10:26:37 AM PDT by brooklyn dave (NO, I WON"T VOTE FOR THE O)
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To: So Cal Rocket

I don’t see this going anywhere.


4 posted on 08/01/2011 10:27:02 AM PDT by demkicker (Helping Democrats Become Extinct)
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To: So Cal Rocket

I’m asking myself “what the heck is Amazon thinking signing on to this nonsense?”


5 posted on 08/01/2011 10:30:01 AM PDT by drbuzzard (different league)
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To: demkicker
I don’t see this going anywhere.

Really? This is a prime candidate for another RINO screw job. Boehner and McConnell will love this!

6 posted on 08/01/2011 10:31:25 AM PDT by Drill Thrawl (0 - 537 They ALL must go.)
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To: demkicker
This is crap. There never used to be a tax on catalogue sales such as from Sears catalogue. So why start taxing out-of-state sales? Why can't a resident of New York buy from Nebraska, tax free? His home state had nothing to do with facilitating free commerce to its citizen, did nothing to earn that sales tax.
7 posted on 08/01/2011 10:31:34 AM PDT by Ciexyz
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To: demkicker
Are you sure? These idiot Republicans are jumping all over themselves to be the first one to sell out to Democrats.

First the debt ceiling, then giving the government the right to snoop on the internet, now this.
8 posted on 08/01/2011 10:31:41 AM PDT by Minus_The_Bear
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To: So Cal Rocket

I started to order something online yesterday and they were in CA and tried to charge me sales tax. I called and asked them if they had a warehouse or store in my state, they said no but they had to charge it. I have no idea if they were right or wrong and don’t care. I ordered it elsewhere with no sales tax. They start that it will drastically hurt online sales and their is HUGE money in that market. Nice job dems, tank the economy some more.
Lots of online sales are spur of the moment, things you don’t necessarily need. Taxes would probably be deal breaker on many of my online purchases. I can dump a cart as fast as I can fill it. Go ahead dems, it will keep more money sitting in my pocket.


9 posted on 08/01/2011 10:31:59 AM PDT by mojitojoe ( 1400 years of existence & Islam has 2 main accomplishments, psychotic violence and goat curry)
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To: So Cal Rocket

I started to order something online yesterday and they were in CA and tried to charge me sales tax. I called and asked them if they had a warehouse or store in my state, they said no but they had to charge it. I have no idea if they were right or wrong and don’t care. I ordered it elsewhere with no sales tax. They start that it will drastically hurt online sales and there is HUGE money in that market. Nice job dems, tank the economy some more.
Lots of online sales are spur of the moment, things you don’t necessarily need. Taxes would probably be deal breaker on many of my online purchases. I can dump a cart as fast as I can fill it. Go ahead dems, it will keep more money sitting in my pocket.


10 posted on 08/01/2011 10:32:15 AM PDT by mojitojoe ( 1400 years of existence & Islam has 2 main accomplishments, psychotic violence and goat curry)
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To: drbuzzard

I have no clue but I just took them out of my bookmarked sites, deleted my stored password, went on the site, removed all stored credit cards, info and they will never get another cent from me. I’ll leave my account until something I ordered arrives, then I will delete that too. I’m not one of those people that forgive because it’s easier for me. They piss me off, I’m done with them. DONE!!


11 posted on 08/01/2011 10:35:31 AM PDT by mojitojoe ( 1400 years of existence & Islam has 2 main accomplishments, psychotic violence and goat curry)
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To: mojitojoe

Maybe I don’t understand the problem, but mail order has had to do this and I don’t see why internet retailers should get a pass.


12 posted on 08/01/2011 10:35:41 AM PDT by DonaldC (A nation cannot stand in the absence of religious principle.)
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To: So Cal Rocket

Sales tax is a nightmare for corporation. It is not merely a 50 state thing. Cities and counties have different sales tax rates for different shopping malls, sometimes. I worked at T-Mobile with the tax department and it is amazing what we had to do to jump through the tax hoops every time we did something that affected retail sales.

I think that is the reason Amazon is backing this. I am taking an educated guess that it is saying that firms like Amazon would only have to charge one sales tax rate per state regardless of WHERE in the state the item is being sold. That would make data processing a very simple thing.

It is also very reasonable.

I love getting the “no sales tax” on online purchases, but I confess taht I don’t think it is fair to the brick and mortar businesses. This would be fair to everyone involved.


13 posted on 08/01/2011 10:36:43 AM PDT by RobRoy (The US today: Revelation 18:4)
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To: So Cal Rocket

Shouldn’t be called the send more American jobs to foreign countries while there are still some act?


14 posted on 08/01/2011 10:37:07 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (Those who trade land for peace will end up with neither one.)
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To: DonaldC

Nice to see you are for more taxes.... as if we don’t pay enough. I don’t give a crap if they pass it or not, go for it. I won’t shop online anymore, there will be no advantage to it.


15 posted on 08/01/2011 10:37:37 AM PDT by mojitojoe ( 1400 years of existence & Islam has 2 main accomplishments, psychotic violence and goat curry)
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To: Ciexyz

>>There never used to be a tax on catalogue sales such as from Sears catalogue. <<

Actually I think there always was, but it just wasn’t enforced. In my state (until tomorrow, that is), Washington, you are supposed to add up all your catalog purchases and send the state a check for the sales tax. If you don’t, you are technically breaking the law.


16 posted on 08/01/2011 10:38:16 AM PDT by RobRoy (The US today: Revelation 18:4)
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To: RobRoy

There are 7,500 + tax jurisdictions in America. A total and complete nightmare for any nation-wide company.


17 posted on 08/01/2011 10:38:59 AM PDT by Drill Thrawl (0 - 537 They ALL must go.)
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To: DonaldC
but mail order has had to do this

No they haven't. If you order something from, let's say St. Louis, MO and you live in Chicago, IL, you don't pay either Illinois or Missouri sales tax on it.

18 posted on 08/01/2011 10:40:13 AM PDT by Anitius Severinus Boethius
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To: So Cal Rocket
Giving online retailers a sales tax advantage may have been great for shipping, software, and computer companies, but it has treated local retailers inequitably, equally true of shopping out of state over the phone.

We do need some government and it cannot operate without revenue. IMO, sales taxes, as long as they are kept below 10% are an effective tool that taxes equitably (when they go over that rate the cost is too much incentive for organized crime). If people don't want to pay sales taxes they should elect representatives who will cut spending to lower rates. In any case, taxes should be levied evenly among suppliers to the customer who makes the purchase from within that state.

19 posted on 08/01/2011 10:40:17 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (GunWalker: "We need a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as well funded")
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To: Future Snake Eater

I live in VA and I half to self report purchases I make on the internet.


20 posted on 08/01/2011 10:40:50 AM PDT by Perdogg (0bama got 0sama?? Really, was 0sama on the golf course?)
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