New Jersey launches iTunes tax

News.com ^ | October 3, 2006 | Anne Broache

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

Beginning this week, New Jersey residents purchasing music and videos from services like Apple's iTunes and rival digital downloads e-tailers encountered something they'd previously only found at bricks-and-mortar counterparts: a sales tax.

Democratic Governor Jon Corzine proposed the sales tax expansion earlier this spring to help the state to recover from a $4.5 billion budget deficit, an ABC News affiliate in New York reported recently on its Web site. The changes, along with a sales tax rate hike from 6 to 7 percent, took effect on Oct. 1.

According to a CNET News.com special report completed in April, 15 states and the District of Columbia already included media downloads in their sales tax regimes, and a handful of others--New Jersey included--were contemplating similar moves.

Garden State officials didn't stop at downloaded music and videos for the newly taxed set. New Jerseyans must now pay taxes on data processing; tanning, massage and tattooing services; limousines; and flooring and carpeting installation, among other things.

[SheLion]

My girlfriend works for the local Dem controlled government here in NJ ..You CANNOT believe the things she sees going on in govt here. In you face robbery of the public, corruption that would make Nero blush. The morons in NJ keep voting the DEMS BACK IN , DECADE AFTER DECADE. (The same here in Maine!)

I'm telling you!  They promise us the moon to get our vote.  Once in office, all they give us is the outhouse.

I am sick to death of lawmakers.  They think they can do and say anything they want, and it should be ok.

They stick it to us all the time, while they are doing worse behind closed doors.  It's time to CLEAN HOUSE!  And to think WE pay THEM makes me barf!

My girlfriend works for the local Dem controlled government here in NJ ..You CANNOT believe the things she sees going on in govt here. In you face robbery of the public, corruption that would make Nero blush. The morons in NJ keep voting the DEMS BACK IN , DECADE AFTER DECADE. (The same here in Maine!)

I'm telling you!  They promise us the moon to get our vote.  Once in office, all they give us is the outhouse.

I am sick to death of lawmakers.  They think they can do and say anything they want, and it should be ok.

They stick it to us all the time, while they are doing worse behind closed doors.  It's time to CLEAN HOUSE!  And to think WE pay THEM makes me barf!

[alice_in_bubbaland]

LOL! I guess we can assume that the dims are disgusting, everywhere in the North East! Maine, just like NJ, has plenty of RINO's too! :)

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Welcome to the corrupt state of NJ!


Morris Plains, Morris County, not far from the solid Republican County of Warren! When you are in the market to buy, try looking here! Rolling hills and less congestion!:)

[KsSunflower]

Property taxes better there? His office is in Mountain Lakes...we planned to live futher out and then commute anyway. Sounds like a plan!!

[alice_in_bubbaland]

As a kid, I lived in Mountain Lakes, right on the Boulevard! A beautiful town with many old huge homes. The taxes are very high and has turned into yuppieville in recent decades. Mt. Lakes High is one of the best HS in New Jersey.

When you are in the market FReepmail me, I might be able to give you the lowdown on the area.

[Reeses]

The smart thing for Apple to do is pull all Apple Stores and facilities out of NJ and tell NJ to try to collect it when they have no standing.

They'd have to cut all ties with banks and financial institutions with a physical presence in NJ as well. In California they extract money from out of state businesses by slapping a court order a local bank branch if the out of state business has any money with that bank. California takes a huge block of money out of their account, far in excess of the amount they believe they are owed, and makes the business fight for their money back.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution says that only the federal government has the power to tax interstate commerce. How California gets around this is by calling it a "use" tax. If you use something bought out of state you owe a use tax equal to the sales tax. Gimmicks like this should be tossed by the courts.

[InkYouBuss_007]

"It seems surrealistic, but when I was growing up here, NJ has no state sales tax, and no state income tax -- and yet the schools were better then than they are now."
That is a completly accurate statement. As taxes and "fees" have gone up over the years the quality of life etc has gone down. Like others have posted I am down sizing and looking forward to my exit as well. After 3 property re-evaluations in 10 yrs I now won't even be able to pay my property taxes on my projected SS payments. Of course I could save money on food by competing with the deer for acorns and road side salad greens but I don't want to become road kill.
My friends are all educated people and yet they insist on always voting for the Dems no matter how blatantly obvious the corruption is. They always have some justification for re-electing the Dem crooks.I don't get it but I can't take it anymore. This tax thing is the last straw.

[dfwgator]

New Jerseyans get exactly what they deserve for voting that scum in.

[goldstategop]

Service taxes. Of course they don't repeal obsolete taxes. They just add new ones.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[goldstategop]

New Jersey Republicans are liberals and just as corrupt. There's not much choice for New Jersey voters. There has never been one snd for all practical intents and purposes its a one party state. There are no true conservatives in the Atlantic/New England region. The few Republicans left there are practically indistinguishable from the Democrats.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

and Turnpike tolls that would embarrass a highway robber.

You mean other highway robbers.

[bigjoesaddle]

Hey, Jersey has a lot of debts!

[hnj_00]

exit 8A but planning to be gone jsut like pharmboy and gridlock....I too want to get out on a golf course in a state that doesn't tax me for the sunshine and air I breathe!!!!

[SheLion]

LOL! I guess we can assume that the dims are disgusting, everywhere in the North East! Maine, just like NJ, has plenty of RINO's too! :)

Oh Gawd yes!  I don't trust ANY of them.  Either side! 

[hnj_00]

stay away from mercer county....the lib/dems will tax you to death....the go after you in the grave!!!

[VideoDoctor]

Hmmm... apparantly NJ has never heard of proxies. Proxy your connection so it doesn't look like it is coming form NJ and they'll never see a dime.

[Gabz]

The non-smokers keep telling us that it's a SIN tax! Well, guess what? Looks like everything we do in life is becoming a SIN to our lawmakers.

I hate to say "We told you so"...........but

What goes around comes around.

[takeemout]

Another day, another tax implemented in NJ.

[Lancey Howard]

New Jersey - - LMAO!!!

[MarkL]

They'd have to cut all ties with banks and financial institutions with a physical presence in NJ as well. In California they extract money from out of state businesses by slapping a court order a local bank branch if the out of state business has any money with that bank. California takes a huge block of money out of their account, far in excess of the amount they believe they are owed, and makes the business fight for their money back.

CA will figure a way to take money, especially when they don't deserve, or for that matter, have any right to that money. I received a small inheritance from an uncle who died in CA. CA withheld a substantial amount as "income tax." Of course, as someone who did not earn anything in the state of CA (or for that matter, never even visited the state), I wasn't liable for income tax and shouldn't have to pay a cent. Well, of course, I had a refund coming, but I had to file a CA income tax return, which added an additional charge to my H&R Block bill.

But they got to hold on to the money for nearly a year, and I never had a chance to not pay.

Mark