The End of Tax-Free Internet Shopping?

Mordok-DestroyerOfWo writes "If a little-known but influential alliance of state politicians, large retailers, and tax collectors have their way, the days of tax-free Internet shopping may be nearly over. A bill expected to be introduced in the US Congress as early as Monday would rewrite the ground rules for mail order and Internet sales by eliminating what its supporters view as a 'loophole' that, in many cases, allows Americans to shop over the Internet without paying sales taxes."

Comments

Re:Only if you make over $250,000

[ArcherB]

First, taken in context it's pretty clear that he was talking about taxes coming out of your paycheck. Even politifact agrees with that sentiment (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/515/no-family-making-less-250000-will-see-any-form-tax/)

From

The Democratic campaign used such statements to counter Republican assertions that Obama would raise taxes in a multitude of direct and indirect ways, recalled Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

"I think a reasonable person would have concluded that Senator Obama had made a 'no new taxes' pledge to every couple or family making less than $250,000," she said.

Jamieson noted GOP ads that claimed Obama would raise taxes on electricity and home heating oil. "They rebutted both with the $250,000 claim," she said of the Obama campaign, "so they did extend the rebuttal beyond income and payroll."

Now, your second part:

Second, this isn't really a tax increase at all since you're supposed to be paying taxes on online purchase as it is. It's called a Use Tax and just because you haven't been paying it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Besides, there is no reason why purchases made online should be tax free other than it is difficult to enforce. I would even say that it gives online vendors an unfair advantage over local stores.

If Obama said, "No New Taxes", you'd have a point. He didn't say that. He said that taxes would not go up for families making under $250,000/yr. Well, with this, my taxes will go up, and my family makes under $250,000/yr.

But, please, don't let the facts get in the way of the spin.

Re:This already occurs in NYS

[ktappe]

Overtaxed? Are you kidding me? If anything, Americans are extremely UNDER taxed. Have you looked at your deficit recently? Have you ever compared your personal income tax rates to any other country's other than tax heavens? I didn't think so.

That's like saying John Doe is a nicer guy than Joe Sixpack because Joe beats his wife three times a week and John only beats his wife twice a week.

If he had only compared U.S. taxes to other countries' you would be correct. However, he didn't--he also asked you to look at the deficit. Therefore your analogy fails. We do in fact need higher taxes in order to pay off the monstrous debt we're accumulating. Only anti-Americans would still be wanting lower taxes given the huge crisis we're facing.

Re:which state(s)?

[drsquare]

So what? I'm pretty sure any online merchant system can handle a thousand numbers.

Re:The big question that must be answered

[pudge]

The difference is that the "whining" that conservatives complained about was people wanting to be given something that was taken by force from someone else

So we are having this discussion in the context of the founding fathers eh? Think hard, wasn't there something valuable they took from American Indians and African slaves by force?

What's sad is that you find this to be relevant. Your argument, as expressed, is that any conception they had of liberty is irrelevant because they kept the slave trade legal. I hope you don't actually believe that; regardless, most Americans certainly do not. Most Americans still believe in the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

But don't worry. I'm sure Latinos will be strongly against wealth redistribution too - just as soon as they control 90% of it.

Everyone who believes in liberty is against wealth redistribution, since by its nature it denies liberty.