Congress Takes Up Online Sales Tax

head_dunce writes "A bill introduced Thursday by a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers seeks to make it easier for states to collect sales taxes stemming from online purchases. Amazon is among the e-retailers supporting the proposal, while a lobbying group representing eBay and Overstock.com stands opposed. From the article: '"Small businesses and states alike are suffering from the inability to collect due -- not new -- taxes from purchases made online," said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., adding the legislation is a "bipartisan, bicameral, common-sense solution that promotes states' rights and levels the playing field for our Main Street businesses."'"

Comments

Re:Yay!

[oh_my_080980980]

Yup you're a 3rd grader. The big box stores do business online - so you comment about tired of the online competition and delivery is stupid.

The rest of your comment is pure blather. State and local taxes go to providing services you use. You don't like it move to Somalia. If you feel the tax revenue is not being used properly, then get involved; vote, write your representative, go to town meetings, or run for office. Complaining like a whiny little bitch on message boards won't change anything.

Re:Idiots gives suspended taxes

[cayenne8]

I'm not terribly picky either way, but if you DO get away from any type of income tax...then, everyone has that money to spend/save. So, you're just trading one tax for another. However, one advantage of the VAT type national tax would be...you'd start collecting tax from crime. People operating on cash basis, don't pay taxes on that under the table income (drugs, illegal workers, etc). However, all those people DO buy things...and you'd then be getting that revenue that is currently lost today.

And, well, rich people have more money to spend and they do like to spend it to live well, so, we'd be getting them to "pay more of their fair share" as the Obama mantra seems to go these days....easy, voluntary way to do that, no?

And, as for buying things outside the US...well, we'd likely do what Europe seems to do...they charge a VAT on imports, and catch it at the border, I'd guess the US would do the same.

Like I said....any type of fair/flat tax would be good for me. Simple, fair...and would be independent of the govt trying to manipulate behavior, which pisses me off....the govt is supposed to be responsive to ME the citizen, not me the citizen responsive to the govt!!