Internet Tax is coming

As per Cameradeals soon we will face new tax,internet tax.


Looks like majority of senate is for:


Tax bill:


Still better than in Cyprus, where they can confiscate 25-40% of your savings (if over 100K euro).Governments everywhere need money.Too bad for me as most photo stuff I am buying online.I wonder if they include tax for used stuff from e-bay and Keh as it should be considered recycling?

In most states, you are supposed to add the sales tax when you file your yearly state taxes anyway.

Personally, I think this is a good thing. Its not fair to local businesses. But its a little too late to help out most camera stores.

Local businesses pay taxes in your community, which helps build your roads and contribute to your schools. Their employees shop and eat in your community, supporting restaurants and other local businesses.

All states should levie the same sales taxes on internet sales as in store sales. I don't understand their reasoning for not doing this as you pointed out, they are costing their state revenue as well as putting their own local merchants at an enormous disadvantage.

I agree that it will help level the playing field but then spending less is an option for all governments too but they all seem to miss that point.

This bill is more symbolic than anything else. Most states already have such laws and it appears that small businesses will be exempt. Here in New York we have been paying sales taxes on internet purchases for years. The bill only adds teeth to existing state laws. As far as I'm concerned it's only fair.

"OFFICIAL TITLE AS INTRODUCED:
A bill to restore States' sovereign rights to enforce State and local sales and use tax laws, and for other purposes."

--
Tom
Look at the picture, not the pixels

wislana2 said:

wislana2 wrote:

As per Cameradeals soon we will face new tax,internet tax.

Click to expand...

Will this new law mean that a sale through the internet will be taxed differently than any other sale from the same store to the same customer with the same shipment method?

If the answer is no, this is not an internet tax.

Allan Olesen said:

Allan Olesen wrote:

Allan Olesen said:

wislana2 wrote:

As per Cameradeals soon we will face new tax,internet tax.

Click to expand...

Will this new law mean that a sale through the internet will be taxed differently than any other sale from the same store to the same customer with the same shipment method?

Click to expand...

There will be a tax where there isn't one currently. That's different enough.

Allan Olesen said:

If the answer is no, this is not an internet tax.

Click to expand...

You talk about an internet tax being fair to local businesses, but how is it fair that the local business charges $100 - $150 more for equipment than I pay online?

For the most part I support local and I agree with most of what you said. I have a limit -- if my local camera store is within $50.00 of what I can get the product for online I'll buy local. But most often, my local camera store is charging $100 - $150 more than I can find online. That is ridiculous and they no longer get any of my business.

If what they're saying is that the 'Internet Tax' is nothing more than companies like B&H charging me my local sales tax, who cares? Less for me to have to remember when I file my taxes each year. If it's something different than charging me my local sales tax, then that may change things (confession: I didn't read the links so I don't know what was in them).

Micketto said:

Micketto wrote:

Micketto said:

Allan Olesen wrote:

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Micketto said:

Micketto said:

Will this new law mean that a sale through the internet will be taxed differently than any other sale from the same store to the same customer with the same shipment method?

Click to expand...

There will be a tax where there isn't one currently. That's different enough.

Click to expand...

Different enough for what?

Do you think that a sale from the same store to the same customer with the same shipment method should be taxed less if the sale was arranged through the internet?

Allan Olesen said:

Allan Olesen wrote:

Allan Olesen said:

Micketto wrote:

Allan Olesen said:

Allan Olesen wrote:

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Allan Olesen said:

Allan Olesen said:

Will this new law mean that a sale through the internet will be taxed differently than any other sale from the same store to the same customer with the same shipment method?

Click to expand...

There will be a tax where there isn't one currently. That's different enough.

Click to expand...

Different enough for what?

Do you think that a sale from the same store to the same customer with the same shipment method should be taxed less if the sale was arranged through the internet?

Click to expand...

Did I say that? It's currently not taxed at all. In case you didn't understand it when I said different enough.

Micketto said:

Micketto wrote:

Did I say that? It's currently not taxed at all. In case you didn't understand it when I said different enough.

Click to expand...

OK. You are evading my questions. Wise decision if you don't have a good answer.

It's not a new tax. It's a mechanism for enforcing existing sales taxes. Most if not all states require you to pay sales tax on internet purchases as if you had bought from a store in-state, but a large number of people violate the law and don't pay.

The proposal would require sellers to collect the tax, rather than relying on customers to pay when they file income tax returns.

Allan Olesen said:

Allan Olesen wrote:

Allan Olesen said:

Micketto wrote:

Did I say that? It's currently not taxed at all. In case you didn't understand it when I said different enough.

Click to expand...

OK. You are evading my questions. Wise decision if you don't have a good answer.

Click to expand...

Maybe they weren't interesting enough to notice. I seemed to have missed them

richarddd said:

richarddd wrote:

It's not a new tax. It's a mechanism for enforcing existing sales taxes. Most if not all states require you to pay sales tax on internet purchases as if you had bought from a store in-state, but a large number of people violate the law and don't pay.

The proposal would require sellers to collect the tax, rather than relying on customers to pay when they file income tax returns.

Click to expand...

Right now it is on the honor system, right? That would never work.

Hmmm, let's see now, what could be different?

1. Cost of a 'brick and mortar store' where you can actually see the product.

2. Cost of stocking the products, rather than just being a "storefront" on the 'Net, this includes all the transportation cost so you can pick up the product "right now".

3. Cost of employees in the store.

4. Cost of local taxes, utilities, rent, etc.



There are a lot of costs involved in maintaining a store that someon with a 'Net only presence does not incur. Being in Washington State we actually do end up paying tax on many things we buy on the 'Net, Amazon and Costco are right here, and remember that if you have a physical location in a state sales tax is charged anyway.

In my opinion the "upcharge" for buying local is convenience and local knowledge. As well as the ability to be able to take a product back directly for replacement, without the hassle of shipping back and forth and waiting.

As with any business, we all make our own decisions as to what we are willing to pay for that convenience.

Micketto said:

Micketto wrote:

Micketto said:

richarddd wrote:

It's not a new tax. It's a mechanism for enforcing existing sales taxes. Most if not all states require you to pay sales tax on internet purchases as if you had bought from a store in-state, but a large number of people violate the law and don't pay.

The proposal would require sellers to collect the tax, rather than relying on customers to pay when they file income tax returns.

Click to expand...

Right now it is on the honor system, right? That would never work.

Click to expand...

It's essentially the honor system for most states and sellers and it's not working

I'd see this as moving in the wrong direction. Why do we need sales taxes anyway, we already have enough ways for the government to tax us. I suggest we should do away with all these taxes everywhere. If the government needs to raise money just adjust the amount of a single flat tax. Keeping track of hundreds of tax rates across the country is costly and time consuming for businesses and consumers. If we were just taxed once for all this government quagmire the people would be so PO'ed they would probably have a tax revolt.

If you don't think we have enough taxes already look at this:
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
Capital Gains Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (18.4 cents/gal Fed and 26.9 - 69.6 cents/gallon state)
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Interest Expense (tax on the money you already paid taxes on)
Inventory Tax I
RS Interest Charges (another tax on a tax)
IRS Penalties (tax for not paying enough tax)
Liquor Tax
Local Income Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Road Toll Booth Taxes
Road Usage Taxes (truckers)
Sales Taxes
School Tax
Septic Permit Tax
Service Charge Taxes
Social Security Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Toll Bridge Taxes Toll
Tunnel Taxes
Trailer Registration
Tax Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers’ Compensation Tax
Really, you think we need more taxes? I'd suggest dumping them all and pay a flat tax once a year.

jfelbab said:

jfelbab wrote:

I'd see this as moving in the wrong direction. Why do we need sales taxes anyway, we already have enough ways for the government to tax us. I suggest we should do away with all these taxes everywhere. If the government needs to raise money just adjust the amount of a single flat tax.

Click to expand...

OK. A single flat tax. Levied by what authority? Charged on what basis? Proceeds allocated how?

OK. A single world government. Chosen by what single authority? Governing on what single principle?

OK. A single brand of camera. Designed by what single authority? Serving what single need?

Be candid and admit you don't want to pay any tax. No one does! But people demand public services and (except maybe in a place like Qatar) there could not possibly be a single way to pay for them all. Even in Qatar, it would be preferable to charge a tax for energy consumption, rather than make it cheaper to waste too much.



For every complex problem, there is an answer that is simple, logical, and wrong.

H.L. Mencken

Micketto said:

Micketto wrote:
There will be a tax where there isn't one currently. That's different enough.

Click to expand...

Actually for the most part there IS a sales tax on Internet sales but the company isn't REQUIRED to collect it. It is left up to the honesty of the customer to file and pay the tax themselves. If you are not doing this it is technically tax evasion. I live in NYS where the seller is required to collect the tax if they have an in state presence. Since most major internet companies have a presence in NY I almost always have to pay tax up front on anything I buy. The only thing different will be a Federal Law to back the state law making failure to pay the tax a Federal Offense.

Let's go back to first principles. What right does the government have to tax purchases at all?

If we end the sales tax while at the same time taxing corporate money parked offshore, do we not come out ahead with more jobs -- as people will have more cash to spend, and companies will return jobs home to avoid offshore taxes?