Posted on 11/26/2012 7:11:11 PM PST by Baynative
OLYMPIA, Wash. —
Gov. Chris Gregoire's time in office may be best remembered for the major deals she helped broker, often in late-night bargaining sessions in which negotiators were ordered to find a resolution.
Now the Democrat, two months away from leaving Washington state government, is looking to finalize one more big agreement.
(Excerpt) Read more at kirotv.com ...
What higher tax rate?
"I like on-line for the convenience. It saves me time, and I do not have to fight crazed shoppers looking for bargains."
One MAJOR problem with going physically to a "brick and mortar" store is the almost inevitable certainly that they will NOT stock the specific item I want, thereby forcing me into the shopping equivalent of "telephone tag"....driving to other nearby similar stores to see if THEY have what I want. When you total up the amount spent on gas for all that driving around, it FAR outweighs the sales tax cost.
BUT, if I shop online, I can almost always find EXACTLY what I'm looking for (and frequently, something better), investing electrons instead of gasoline, and, as you say, avoid the crowds and insanity.
So, online shopping will more than likely STILL be a better deal, EVEN IF sales tax is added on.
You have a great point. There are items which one simply can not find in a brick & Mortar store. For example I have a old vacuum cleaner and I needed replacement filter for it. Wal-Mart did not have it, neither did Target. But I found it on eBay! My wife’s keyboard letters were worn out and hard to read. I found the exact remedy on eBay for $1.35 shipping included, a packet of stick on stickers. Now she can see the keys in semi-darkness!
What you refuse to get is that as a Virginia business I colect sales tax ONLY on Virginia sales. What your “lady” Gregoire wants is for me to collect her state sales tax when some one in Washington buys from me. This adds extra cost and burden to my doing business and I get absolutely no benefit from it..
This woman has a screw loose and that you think she is right absolutely stuns me.
A Democrat governor pushing another tax is NEWS?!!!
And I bet you think you are worth the few cents you are cheating the State of Washington out of, I hope you hit a “Pothole” the size of your ego and it busts your tire.
Cyber Friday....one billion in online sales. I know I like to buy online because I can avoid sale tax, in most cases.
YOU are not paying Washington sales tax, your customer is, and you make it sound like your Washington customer is paying Virginia sales tax and that would be wrong.
“I would only collect sales tax from in state buyers”...Isn’t that what she is alluding to????
No, she wants businesses to collect sales taxes from all buyers from the 45 states with sales tax and then remit them to those 45 states.
This is an enormous burden on small businesses that operate websites.
There is also the moral hazard of mucking up jurisdictional rules. I don’t live in any of those 45 states, why should I become their tax collector? Why should I become subject to their tax laws (and penalties thereof) when I am not a citizen of their state?
The current legal situation based on physical presence is both moral and logical and it works. The proposed system has neither moral or legal logic to support the states jurisdictional claims against non resident businesses and will eventually lead to squabbling over how to slice the pie as states seek to advantage or shelter their businesses from other states while rifling the pockets of other states citizens.
It is a stupid idea from a moral and legal standpoint and the argument you put forward about destruction of local stores is BS. Any local business can start a website and sell to out of state customers, same as I have. If they are losing market share it’s because they have failed to adapt and compete.
No, the sale is being made in the state of the seller, not the buyer. The physical location of the seller is what is paramount and that is what decides who the controlling legal authority is. You are proposing to turn thousands of years of legal theory on it's head so states can collect even more revenue to waste. You are stupid and naive.
WRONG. Look, I get how much you like Gregoire and will ignore the facts over that, but the fact is that she wants businesses with NO PHYSICAL PRESENCE in Washington to collect Washington sales tax on purchases made by Washington residents and then remit those monies to her.
What part off this do you not understand? I have no problem with collecting my state sales taxes on online purchases made by residents of my state. But Gregoire wants me to collect her sales taxes for her, without benefit or compensation to me. In other words, she is a TAKER.
I never said any such thing. You obviously do not understand retail sales, yes the customer pays the tax but it is the merchant who collects and remits it. What your "lady" wants is for all online retailers anywhere and everywhere to collect Washington sales tax from Washington purchasers, even if the retailer is not located in Washington. What she wants is a free tax collection service nationwide at the expense and no benefit to those not in Washington.
Wake up and smell the coffee. You obviously do not understand what she is pushing for here. You need to do further research into what she wants before you make a fool of yourself with your support of this tax grabbing ultra left liberal.
Hey Christine, is that you?
I guess I could be offended with your insulting post, but I am not, mostly because I consider you crazier than a bedbug on crack.
I consider it a patriotic duty to not pay so much as a single dime in taxes over what I am required to pay by law.
Two years ago I bought an Airstream trailer in Oregon. The local dealers in Washington were jerks and refused to believe that I would be willing to go anywhere in the U.S. to buy what I wanted and under the terms that I wanted.
I saved a few bucks by going to Oregon and I dealt with people that I liked and a dealer that I trusted. Then, I had to pay the state of Washington nearly $6,800 in sales tax for my trailer. If there was a legal way to avoid paying that ridiculous tax, you can bet your life I would have.
I already think you’re crazy, but this ought to send you to the looney bin. If that corrupt lib snake, Gregoire , is successful in bringing this tax into law, I will simply keep a list of things I want to buy and make a biannual trip to Oregon with my truck and flatbed trailer. This would certainly be inconvenient, and the cost of gas would eat up most of the savings, but it’s worth it to me.
Hmmm, Thanks to you, I just now had an idea that I will explore. I could simply send my sister money, she lives in Oregon, have her order the small things and ship them to me. I thank you for making me come up with another idea on how to screw this looney lib state. It’ll be fun! LOL
A state that supported Obama, Obamacare, homosexual marriage and marijuana, will get no more support from me than the law requires.
“I decided to let the tax program “ figure” my liability and it turned out to be a pittance.”
For my one-man business I have to pay the tax for my online business purchases here in Washington State. I didn’t use to worry about it unless I bought something major. Except after I bought something major and paid the tax on it I was on their radar.
When I didn’t pay any taxes for on-line purchases the following quarter they sent me a “bill”. “We did not receive any online tax payment last quarter. Based on the size of your business we estimate you spent $2000 online and owe $192.”
I quickly sent them the paperwork for the $15 box of pens I bought and the $1.29 tax I owed!
From the article:
“Over the past year, Gregoire has been working to build support for a congressional plan that would allow states to collect sales tax from online retailers based elsewhere.”
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