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Posted on 04/12/2011 12:55:13 PM PDT by GreaterSwiss
Update 10:30 a.m. PT: I've heard back from Sen. Mike Enzi's office. It sent me e-mail this morning saying: "Senator Enzi plans to co-sponsor the Main Street Fairness bill with Senator Durbin. As far as a timeline or drafts, you'll have to check with Senator Durbin's office."
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20052999-281.html#ixzz1JL8wTRdz A Democratic senator is preparing to introduce legislation that aims to end the golden era of tax-free Internet shopping.
The proposal--expected to be made public soon after Tax Day--would rewrite the ground rules for Internet and mail order sales by eliminating the ability of Americans to shop at Web sites like Amazon.com and Overstock.com without paying state sales taxes.
Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second most senior Senate Democrat, will introduce the bill after the Easter recess, a Democratic aide told CNET.
"Why should out-of-state companies that sell their products online have an unfair advantage over Main Street bricks-and-mortar businesses?" Durbin said in a speech in Collinsville, Ill., in February. "Out-of-state companies that aren't paying their fair share of taxes are sticking Illinois residents and businesses with the tab."
At the moment, Americans who shop over the Internet from out-of-state vendors aren't always required to pay sales taxes at the time of purchase. Californians buying books from Amazon.com or cameras from Manhattan's B&H Photo, for example, won't pay the sales taxes at checkout time that they would if shopping at a local mall--which is what Durbin means by giving online retailers an "unfair advantage."
On the other hand, there are some 7,500 different taxing jurisdictions in the United States, each with a set of very precise rules describing what can and can't be taxed and at what rate. That makes it challenging terrain for retailers to navigate.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20052999-281.html#ixzz1JL903e1g
(Excerpt) Read more at news.cnet.com ...
And why not? It’s the “holy grail” of tax bases. The dhimmicrats will never give up on it.
How ‘bout this - drop the income tax and replace it with a national sales tax that includes internet sales.
Here in VA we have to report our purchases on the internet and include the cost of shipping if the term “shipping and handling” is included on the invoice.
Sales tax will be the death of internet sales.
In most cases it is the only reason to buy on the internet.
Probably will happen. To be honest, I can’t understand why it hasn’t yet! Though I am not complaining.
It puts the local store at a disadvantage.
How about, we tax every moron who proposes another tax instead?
Taxes, taxes, taxes.
You make it. We take it.
Pay your fair share. April 15th is coming fast.
Oh, no worries about that! The Federal Government would be happy to take that 8 or 9 billion and divvy it up in a fair and just manner...
Not necessarily when you figure in the shipping and handling charges on many internet orders.
WTF? Here is the solution: lower state taxes or get rid of them. why is the solution always to raise taxes on other sales?
This is the level playing field....
When you purchase on the Internet, you pay shipping fees;
When you purchase from a bricks-and-mortar store, you pay sales tax.
Besides, most of the items I purchase online are NOT available in my local area....the local merchants are not missing out on any sales because they don’t carry what I’m looking for in the first place.
They are required to pay use tax if their stated has a sales tax.
Durbin is just helping his buddy Quinn out with this little pice of legislation. Amazon is shutting down all affiliates in Illinois on the 15th(or so) of this month as a FU to Illinois over their wanting sales tax from Amazon on all sales.
‘Senator Enzi plans to co-sponsor the Main Street Fairness bill with Senator Durbin.’
It seems neither have yet figured out Main Street is moving toward internet sales to boost their likely lackluster local sales. Even if they’re doing well locally its always good to expand your likely cliental. Why is it pols are so happy to dither in subjects they know little or nothing about. LOL< even better is why do we allow it? Ummm, do I hear snoring in the back ground??? :)
In my case, the local store is NOT at a disadvantage because they don’t sell the items I purchase, such as antiques and collectibles, for instance.
Many of the new items I buy are also unavailable locally.
sounds like a problem taxing authorities need to address on the disadvantage side. how is it that taxing other people is going to make them brick and mortar stores better? a better solution would be to make it more appealing for brick and mortar stores to exist. perhaps the owners of the stores could have their taxes lowered, so that they could be more competitive.
why is that so many politicians try to tax other people prosperity? It just doesn’t work. maybe the good people of wyoming enjoy purchasing things over the internet. if they don’t want to buy the brick and mortar stores, maybe the government of wyoming needs to make purchase is a brick and mortar stores more appealing to the consumers.
Speaker Boehner better step up ASAP and cut this off at the knees. Nip it in the bud.
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