Internet sales tax? yea or nay?

[Dugdale_Jukes]

I'm undecided right now because on the one hand you can get some good deals but on the other, I'm short-changing mom & pop. brick & mortar stores & not contributing to the public purse for firemen, police, state's rainy day funds, etc...

Some states have internet sales taxes tacked onto one's purchases but the majority of states do not recieve any sales tax for internet sales right?

Give me your position & the reason you support it other than the standard response of "its cheaper"

There should probably never be a state sales tax on internet sales. The cost of administering 50 state sales taxes probably starts around a thousand a month for a live database diverting proper pcts of monies to the proper offices in the several states, then goes up with volume of sales.

The fairest tax would be a uniform internet sales tax with tax collections going to the state of residence of buyers.

The reason that won't work is sales tax is owed in most or all states now. So that kind of database would open buyers up to coercion to pay existing taxes.

The most reasonable internet sales tax system is for states to get together and agree to waive state sales taxes on internet purchases in return for taxes on purchases made by residents of each state.

 

[Trajan]

and Wal-Mart will love this too....

 

[chikenwing]

The state I live in has shown itself to be economically inept,giving them even more than what is taken now ,would be real stupid.

Once again,its not a revenue problem,its still spending,even at the state level. Fix that befor you get more,its not hard and its sensible.

 

[auditor0007]

I'm undecided right now because on the one hand you can get some good deals but on the other, I'm short-changing mom & pop. brick & mortar stores & not contributing to the public purse for firemen, police, state's rainy day funds, etc...

Some states have internet sales taxes tacked onto one's purchases but the majority of states do not recieve any sales tax for internet sales right?

Give me your position & the reason you support it other than the standard response of "its cheaper"

This is a tough one. While I support an Internet tax for goods sold via the Internet, it would be a nightmare for retailers to pay these taxes. Even if they just decide to go with a state tax for each state, that would leave every single Internet retailer having to pay sales taxes to fifty states. Can you imagine how big of a pain that could be? If they would agree to allow retailers to just collect sales taxes for their own state, and everyone had to pay them, that would be much more simple. The problem with that is a lot of people don't want to pay sales taxes to states they don't live in. Of course, if you are on vacation you do pay out of state sales taxes, so I don't know.

The bad thing is that Internet based companies are killing local retailers. Best Buy is being destroyed in great part by companies like Amazon.com that do not charge sales tax. Of course, the individual is supposed to pay the tax to the state at the end of the year, but we know that doesn't happen.

 

[ScienceRocks]

No tax. Booo hisss!!!! One should always oppose the thief of our money.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Sales tax on internet purchases should be charged as if you bought the item in person.

For example, if I drive to New Hampshire to buy something I do not get charged a sales tax. If I take that item home to CT I do not have to pay state tax on it.

If I sit at home and order an item from an internet retailer in NH and have it delivered to my home what's the difference?

 

[editec]

I think taxation on the net is inevitable.

Its gonna be a mess until its merchants can pay a centralized authority though.

One of my customers from a foreign nation purchases a download originating in AZ and their money ends up in a bank in Maine.

What state or nation gets to collect the sales tax?

 

[midcan5]

Soon all companies will be located in Bumfluck Agypt because BA has no sales tax. Sorta like when all the Banks moved to Delaware. My un-researched thought is you pay your state's tax based on physical location. Of course then everyone will have a box number in Bumfluck. Humans are fickle and taxes are the source of much fickle. Cynic's hat off.

 

[Katzndogz]

Sales tax on internet purchases should be charged as if you bought the item in person.

For example, if I drive to New Hampshire to buy something I do not get charged a sales tax. If I take that item home to CT I do not have to pay state tax on it.

If I sit at home and order an item from an internet retailer in NH and have it delivered to my home what's the difference?

Technically you do. Every state has a form to fill out so that you can pay tax on items you bought out of state if you bought it in a state with a lower tax than yours. No one ever does this, but the tax is still there.

 

[Katzndogz]

I think taxation on the net is inevitable.

Its gonna be a mess until its merchants can pay a centralized authority though.

One of my customers from a foreign nation purchases a download originating in AZ and their money ends up in a bank in Maine.

What state or nation gets to collect the sales tax?

The state YOU file your income taxes in. They will go by the shipping address for tangible merchandise. How they will tax downloads might be a problem if someone downloads something and lies about their state of domicile.

 

[candycorn]

I'm undecided right now because on the one hand you can get some good deals but on the other, I'm short-changing mom & pop. brick & mortar stores & not contributing to the public purse for firemen, police, state's rainy day funds, etc...

Some states have internet sales taxes tacked onto one's purchases but the majority of states do not recieve any sales tax for internet sales right?

Give me your position & the reason you support it other than the standard response of "its cheaper"

MWF for it.
TThS against it.
Do not ask me on a Sunday.

On one hand, its the only way to protect the physical retailers through which we support our local governments. On the other, where is it written that it is smart to base your budget on the spending whims of the public?

A modest, federal uniform tax on Internet purchases seems to be the winner.

 

[Dot Com]

senate is holding more discussions on it today.

 

[candycorn]

I think taxation on the net is inevitable.

Its gonna be a mess until its merchants can pay a centralized authority though.

One of my customers from a foreign nation purchases a download originating in AZ and their money ends up in a bank in Maine.

What state or nation gets to collect the sales tax?

A flat federal tax will be levied then, on top of that, purchaser based sales taxes will be levied. If NY State has the tax and you live in NY, you will have to pay the state tax on top of the federal one. Across the State line in PA, you will have only the federal theorhetically.

 

[Dot Com]

heres the bill summary: Bill Summary & Status - 113th Congress (2013 - 2014) - S.743 - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

 

[longknife]

I don't think internet shopping WILL EVER replace brick and mortar, mom and pop stores! I know many who want to touch, see, and even smell stuff before they buy it. There are also those who mistrust the quality of goods purchased online.

As to taxing, I agree it should be determined by the state in which the customer RESIDES.

 

[Avorysuds]

Progressives talk about moving forward, yet they sure do as much as humanly possible to keep us in the stone ages.

Tax internet sales purely to make things "fair." So we have a better system that not only helps push prices down in stores, but allows for vastly more options on products in any area in the US... And Progressives want to kill this because the tiny revenue they MIGHT be able to bring in that wouldn't close even .001% of the growing deficit. Even on a state by state level, sales will drop, not by massive amounts but enough to destroy any gain by a meaningless.

 

[candycorn]

Progressives talk about moving forward, yet they sure do as much as humanly possible to keep us in the stone ages.

Tax internet sales purely to make things "fair." So we have a better system that not only helps push prices down in stores, but allows for vastly more options on products in any area in the US... And Progressives want to kill this because the tiny revenue they MIGHT be able to bring in that wouldn't close even .001% of the growing deficit. Even on a state by state level, sales will drop, not by massive amounts but enough to destroy any gain by a meaningless.

Admittedly, I haven't thought about it too much but how can one accept a tax on physical locations and not accept a tax on virtual locations?

 

[Dot Com]

I don't think internet shopping WILL EVER replace brick and mortar, mom and pop stores! I know many who want to touch, see, and even smell stuff before they buy it. There are also those who mistrust the quality of goods purchased online.

As to taxing, I agree it should be determined by the state in which the customer RESIDES.

true. I HAVE TO buy shoes in a brick & mortar establishment if I want them to fit properly.

 

[candycorn]

I don't think internet shopping WILL EVER replace brick and mortar, mom and pop stores! I know many who want to touch, see, and even smell stuff before they buy it. There are also those who mistrust the quality of goods purchased online.

As to taxing, I agree it should be determined by the state in which the customer RESIDES.

true. I HAVE TO buy shoes in a brick & mortar establishment if I want them to fit properly.

Heavy objects will usually costs too much to ship (thus making the price prohibitive) as well

 

[hjmick]

Nay.