Posted on 12/02/2011 8:02:28 AM PST by Libloather
Congress steps into states' scuffle over sales tax
By Lisa Lambert | Reuters – Wed, Nov 30, 2011
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After the frenzy of "Cyber Monday," members of Congress on Wednesday entered into a different scuffle over web shopping: states' desire to collect sales taxes from Internet retailers.
"Main street retailers -- local mom and pop stores in many instances, and even some of the big box retailers -- suffer when they have to collect the sales tax but on-line retailers don't," said Michigan's Rep. John Conyers at a hearing. "Fewer purchases at local retailers means less local jobs."
Conyers has introduced one of three bills currently in Congress to create a system for collecting sales taxes across state lines.
In 1992, the Supreme Court said the patchwork of state tax laws made it too difficult for on-line retailers to collect and remit sales taxes. Currently, states can only tax Internet sales made by companies that have physical presences within their borders.
"We ought to make sure there are no new taxes on people of several states," said Rep. Mike Pence from Indiana, a Republican.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
If they want to keep their job’s they had better...
We are witnessing the absence of a pro-American, for the people government. It has been replaced by thugs who think of nothing but how to steal more money from American individuals and businesses.
A pair of headphones...Amazon price 40.00 and free shipping.
After the tax meddling.
A pair of headphones...Amazon price 1.00 and 39.00 shipping.
Conyers has introduced one of three bills currently in Congress to create a system for collecting sales taxes across state lines.A 9-9-9, Fairtaxer's dream come true.
Won’t work, they will simply write the tax laws to tax the entire transaction amount. When it comes to rifling our pockets, politicians are not fools.
There is an Amazon distribution center about 19 miles from me. At this time of year, they are working 2 - 12 hour shifts per day. They are heavily advertising for workers on the local TV-—== revenue for the TV station, also.
They have so many workers on each shift that they are overflow parking into the Lowe’s next door. I was at Lowe’s last week, and I counted over 50 cars alone in the Lowe’s parking lot which were from Amazon. Since they were parked on the far outside edge, it was easy to count them. Over $12 per hour for straight time & over $18 for overtime.
For the totally Stuck on Stupid crowd-—these jobs ARE local jobs & they far exceed in number ANY POSSIBLE openings at local Mom & Pop stores.
If You all are so concerned about the local Mom & Pop businesses, work to reverse the crazy smoking bans the refugees from California taxes & regulations passed in 2006 or so which shut down hundreds of LOCAL Mom & Pop bars with casino machines. The costs of remodeling these VERY SMALL local bars in the rural parts of Nevada far exceeded the income they would gain. Therefore, they shut down. Even a VERY SMALL rural Mom & Pop bar/casino hired as many as 20 people because they are open 24/7/365 in this state & bartenders—small cafe services—& machine attendants added up.
In some of the rural parts of Nevada, losing 20 jobs in just one location was devastating.
Don’t like smoke? DON’T GO into the casino.
Most of all-—don’t mess with that which you have absolutely NO understanding of. Shutting down those bars & cafes over smoking has greatly added to the state having the highest unemployment of all 50 states. (57 states per Obama.)
Ebay sellers did the same thing when eBay raised the sellers fees which were a percentage of the final selling price.
It seems that your basic politician believes that all this "online ordering and buying on the Inter webs" happens by some sort of Dark Magic.
You’re right. Smoking bans have shut down mom and pop bars and cafes all over the country.
As to the collection of taxes on internet sales, we can thank all those who cheered the states going after internet tobacco sales for this mess, including many FReepers. Smokers warned everyone all online purchases would be next, but we were laughed at.
In all honesty, I am surprised the online tax exmeption has lasted this long.
It won’t for much longer, as states get more and more hungry for money.
I saw an eBay auction yesterday where the shipping price is $1,000. It’s for a used computer, probably not worth that amount. Most people charge $35 for shipping. Let the buyer beware!
I watched some of the hearing on this on Cspan. They have something called “streamlining” ready to go. Sounded like its a software that automatically loads, adds on the tax, which is forwarded to a third party who turns it over to the government. Still waiting for an explanation of taxing used goods on ebay. They were taxed at the original point of purchase. Now they are going to be taxed again if resold online?
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