ive never once declared my internet purchases on my tax forms

but i wouldnt necessarily complain like a baby if they enforced sales tax at time of purchase like any other store. taxes are a reality and if you want to pay less taxes then just move to somalia. youll get some coastline, little government, and basically super low taxes!

 

-----signature-----

The government could easily pass some legislation that sales tax on internet purchases could be set based on where the items are sold rather than where they are bought from. Would make it scads easier for everyone.

I'm not like dying to pay sales tax or anything, but it really should be everyone has to pay, or no one has to pay. The Internet is changing the rules with how consumers make purchases. We need to adapt.

 

-----signature-----

I think we'll all be paying Internet sales tax eventually. I appreciate the fight Amazon is putting up, but it's a losing battle.

"The government" can't just do anything because this is not a national sales tax (although it's coming..) And it's not particularly fair either to all pay sales tax or none pay it. Different states provide different services and raise taxes in different ways and being a non-resident of the state usually they are happy to gouge you but that's all the more reason to support Amazon for telling the states to shove it imo.

The alternative starts to look like your phone bill where you have these companies so in bed with the government via collecting all these stupid "fees" that you have no idea what the price you are paying to Att etc. If a state (CA) wants to tax people then go collect the tax from the people don't put it off on a business to do the the state's dirty work.

 

-----signature-----

Not to derail (honestly, just a quick note): but well, like all taxes, it's there as another revenue stream for government. Helps pay for the agencies and entities that pave roads, regulate water quality, maintain the power grid, provide law enforcement and fire prevention, insure restaurants aren't serving you food from an unsafe facility, provide education and libraries, etc. I like sales tax because it's remitted when you actually spend your money on goods, and therefore pretty difficult to avoid. It's also usually a reasonable amount.

As for this group in CA, hey, it's their prerogative. I disagree with them. I think Internet merchants should be exempt because they aren't actually running a physical storefront that resides within any one state. They usually stock in multiple warehouses in multiple states, employ people in multiple states, and already pay all other business-related taxes. So not having to remit a sales tax from them should be granted.

 

-----signature-----

If this were all it was used for, people would be ok with it and we would not be in the economic doghouse right now.

 

-----signature-----