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Mississippi Bill Would Tax Software Sales
Byzantine writes "The Mississippi Legislature has passed MS House Bill 1461 which would amend the state's tax laws specifically to charge sales tax on 'electrically transferred digital products,' including products bought via mail-order. The bill is currently on the governor's desk awaiting signature." Softpedia claims that 20 states have enacted download taxes of one sort or another — most of them for iTunes music — and that New York is considering taxing downloads of all kinds.
First, I'm a Canadian. I live in a federal state system, same as you do, ok?
Second, I'm a lawyer. I understand how parmountcy and shared field theories of constitutional law work (probably much better than you).
Third, I don't give a rat's ass about how you go about fixing your domestic problems or how you fix your fiscal policy. That's because they are not mine to fix; they are YOURS to fix. Find your own unique American solution, by all means. Take as much American excpetionalism as you can carry; fill your boots.
Fourth, I'm not naive about sprinking rational liberal Western European pixie dust over Middle America. I don't think for **one moment** that America's political culture is going to change. America has never been terribly rational about taxes and that it not going to change.
Which is exactly my point: that's why the ultimate tax bill will get only bigger before you are left with no other choice but than to pay it. But make no mistake, Western European pixie-dust or no, the bill comes due. Whether you like it - or not. The bill doesn't care much about why you incurred it. It only wants to be paid.
And that "some day maybe far off in the future" day of bill paying? It's on the horizon and it is a lot nearer than you think.
.Robert