Internet Sales Tax - Get ready to pay even more

[yiostheoy]

I wonder if this will cost American jobs? If all our stuff comes from China any ways, can the tax be avoided through purchase from a foreign seller? I have no knowledge of this stuff, I spent my career at a utility where our customers paid for a service, not for any product we made or owned.

When foreign retailers import into the USA, under "fair trade" (which has been unfair to the USA so far) there is no tariff nor duty.

Trump is working on this loophole obviously.

 

[there4eyeM]

Where do you think the money comes from to keep up parks and roads?

Unfair tax is unfair tax. What is your point?
Aside from the strict interpretation of taxation, parks are a special case. Not everyone wants to go to parks, and going to parks is not essential to life.
Roads are a bit different, but taxes on fuels do have a correlation to income in that people drive what they can afford and if they choose a stupid, overweight vehicle they should pay.
Still, taxation in general for things for the general good/welfare should be in relation to the benefit to those benefiting from it. Flat taxes are the less fortunate paying for the more.

My point is how do you know what is unfair tax and what is not? If the less fortunate didnt utilize all the things that taxes paid for you would actually have a point but since the less fortunate utilize tax dollars you really dont.

It isn't a question of use, of course. It is a question of those who benefit least paying the same percentage as those who benefit disproportionately more.

Ah OK. I missed your comment about flat taxes.

Sales taxes are flat, although some states exempt some transactions, such as for food, and so those sales become zero rated.

And flat taxes are unfair; which isn't at all funny.

 

[MarcATL]

I don't like taxes but if Sears has to charge a sales tax then Amazon should have to as well...

What part of capitalism and competition is that?

 

[MarcATL]

Flat taxes such as sales taxes are regressive and unfair.

You flapping your loose lips is the only thing that's regressive.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

As if we don't pay enough already. Sometimes the shipping charge is outrageous!

God bless you always!!!

Holly

The previous now-outdated argument AGAINST taxing internet and mail order sales was the shipping charges.

Nobody buys that old argument anymore however.

It is true. In many cases, you have to buy a certain amount to get free shipping.

That is how it is at Wal-Mart. When you buy $50.00 worth of stuff or more at one time, your shipping is free.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

 

[Anathema]

Just another reason to drive 25 miles to Tax-Free New Hampshire to make any major purchase (in cash).

 

[Marion Morrison]

Flat taxes such as sales taxes are regressive and unfair.

Where do you think the money comes from to keep up parks and roads?

From about 35 cents going to the state, and 35 cents going to the Fed for every single gallon of fuel sold in America every day. Next!

Gas Taxes By State (Interactive Map)

 

[there4eyeM]

For anyone intelligent, here is a link that verifies the simple truth of progressive versus regressive taxes.
What are the differences between regressive, proportional, and progressive taxes?

 

[Marion Morrison]

^Well, looks like fuel tax has been reduced some. Interesting.

I know for a fact, it used to be twice that.

 

[Rambunctious]

What part of capitalism and competition is that?

If sears has a 20 dollar hammer and has to charge sales tax so should on line stores....sounds fair....I don't like sales taxes but its a democrat invention that we are stuck with....so if we have to have it..... it should be fair....

 

[Brain357]

What part of capitalism and competition is that?

If sears has a 20 dollar hammer and has to charge sales tax so should on line stores....sounds fair....I don't like sales taxes but its a democrat invention that we are stuck with....so if we have to have it..... it should be fair....

Sears is doomed like every other brick and mortar. And if you got to a brick and mortar you don't pay shipping. All the huge online corps like Amazon are already set up to collect sales tax. This one is really going to hurt the smaller companies.

 

[my2¢]

As previous noted I'm pretty ignorant on tax law but I've done a bit of investigation. Seems a good many of us have unwittingly been tax cheats in that we've should have been paying our state a use tax for untaxed on-line purchases.

The Customer’s Responsibility
In cases where the online retailer does not have to collect sales tax, it is the customer’s responsibility to pay the tax—in which case it is known not as a sales tax but, rather, a use tax.
​

Yeah, like that's going to happen.

A couple of good sources I've found so far:

• Internet Sales Tax: A 50-State Guide to State Laws
• Amazon tax - Wikipedia (feel a bit of shame referencing Wikipedia, but I didn't want to get in too deep at this point).

 

[there4eyeM]

Flat taxes such as sales taxes are regressive and unfair.

Funny.

According to Adam Smith in "The Wealth Of Nations" (London, 1775), 'everyone should pay some taxes'.

However the rich should pay more, since they benefit more, and moreover, since they can afford to pay more, according to Smith.

Funny rules.

But basically Smith is saying that if a king needs mo money then he will need to tax his rich nobles more than the working poor subjects of the realm. Because the rich have mo while the po don't.

It is simply pragmatism applied to macro- and micro-economics.

Nothing indicated that anyone be free of all taxation. What was stated was, and is, the simple truth that flat taxes fall heaviest on the lowest income brackets and least on the highest. It is not logical to call this fair.

 

[there4eyeM]

As if we don't pay enough already. Sometimes the shipping charge is outrageous!

God bless you always!!!

Holly

The previous now-outdated argument AGAINST taxing internet and mail order sales was the shipping charges.

Nobody buys that old argument anymore however.

It is true. In many cases, you have to buy a certain amount to get free shipping.

That is how it is at Wal-Mart. When you buy $50.00 worth of stuff or more at one time, your shipping is free.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

The cost is included in the price; not "free".