tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post2899882717503004280..comments2010-01-28T00:27:32.727-08:00Randy Smythehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07271958472975660101noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-11810839174860480942010-01-18T07:19:30.560-08:002010-01-18T07:19:30.560-08:00irregardless isn&#39;t a wordgKasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908508739554880024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-56643311893351388792009-08-17T08:48:32.348-07:002009-08-17T08:48:32.348-07:00bla blaionelutzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17900033108542045164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-16249801467085992262009-07-17T11:01:10.632-07:002009-07-17T11:01:10.632-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133855354402741785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-11539256057979376892009-07-17T10:39:05.532-07:002009-07-17T10:39:05.532-07:00Go to www.fairtax.org. It&#39;s not a flat tax, but a national sales tax. Key component is it abolishes the IRS as there would be no income tax or payroll tax among other key points. Levels the playing field for all. It might not be the greatest for us Internet sellers, but once the politicians ruin our economy permanently, it will be the only viable way to recover:<br /><br />What is the FairTax?<br /><br />The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including:<br /><br /> * A progressive national retail sales tax.<br /> * A prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level.<br /> * Dollar-for-dollar federal revenue neutrality.<br /> * Repeal of the 16th Amendment through companion legislation.<br /><br />There are good books on the subject, latest is: 0061540463Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13048883649609882194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-44053837143122482322009-07-16T13:35:49.548-07:002009-07-16T13:35:49.548-07:00Why not treat the online store as a Brick and Mortar store with a physical address and charge the sales tax based on the state in which the business is registered.<br /><br />If the business is registered in NY then they buyers would pay NY sales tax.Ajit Srivastavahttp://www.ajitsrivastava.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-65677717079492266402009-07-07T08:10:31.954-07:002009-07-07T08:10:31.954-07:00@ idiots (lawmakers)<br /><br />If you can&#39;t enforce law, then it should be done away with.<br /><br />I truly dread the alternatives they plan.Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133855354402741785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-34450879435487672872009-07-07T07:44:38.484-07:002009-07-07T07:44:38.484-07:00Keith,<br /><br />I&#39;m just being pragmatic here. Use tax is the fairest tax for all involved, but we all know that getting 50 states to enforce use tax is an impossible task.<br /><br />Also, as you point out, the idiots (my word)in Statehouses and in Washington will come up with some convoluted new law that will require the seller to collect taxes and may put some out of business.<br /><br />The first option will not happen and the only way to stop the second option is to suggest something similar to my plan.<br /><br />The burden on all involved will be managable with my plan.Randy Smythehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07271958472975660101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-85871500019105709532009-07-06T21:26:58.842-07:002009-07-06T21:26:58.842-07:00@ Henrietta <br />Good points.<br /><br />You can&#39;t make all States happy. Even with a 5% flat tax, California will feel cheated. No Sales tax States would get a windfall. It&#39;s not fair for all parties involved.<br /><br />Collecting Use Tax is fair. With my plan, States get their taxable rate, No Sales Tax States residents still get goods tax free. If a CA buyer gets his item from OR, they still pay CA use tax. IT&#39;S THE LAW NOW. Why can&#39;t States enforce existing law? No, they have to make new law that is more complicated and is bound to put small business out of business.Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133855354402741785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-76377459130477980662009-07-06T14:59:18.382-07:002009-07-06T14:59:18.382-07:00Nice idea Cliff but unfortunately zip codes do not align with taxation districts.<br /><br />States like Oregon who do not have a sales tax compensate by imposing higher income taxes than states who have sales taxes.<br /><br />Likewise states which do not have state income tax like Nevada and Montana have higher sales taxes.<br /><br />Hawaii which is the taxingest state has a GE tax of 4% payable on everything plus a high state income tax.<br /><br />Anyone or anything which attempts to reason with the individual states to work out a universal system is doomed to failure.Henriettahttp://www.200westmain.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-83082962367991489822009-07-03T11:18:59.319-07:002009-07-03T11:18:59.319-07:00A. As Randy pointed out no one (aside from the VT example I gave) is enforcing use tax laws.<br /><br />B. Unlike most Americans (maybe because I&#39;m not natural born one) I don&#39;t oppose taxes as such.<br /><br />C. I think that VT option or randy option are fair and reasonble ones and I would (if I could) vote for either.Orenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372127411920568481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-56126227614673898412009-07-03T11:00:16.682-07:002009-07-03T11:00:16.682-07:00&#39;In most cases you are paying state tax when you cross the border and buy at B&amp;M - you pay the other state sales tax.&#39;<br /><br />True, but you are still obligated to pay Use Tax ... and what of those Massachusetts buyers who goto Tax Free New Hampshire? What is to be done with those &#39;Lawbreakers&#39;? Blogs in Boston are full of examples like this.<br /><br />I&#39;m ready to start a .org site to fight back. I know where you stand, but are the other readers ready to join and help out?Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133855354402741785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-75853927305577338332009-07-03T10:42:20.615-07:002009-07-03T10:42:20.615-07:00Keith,<br /><br />The LA Times is wrong, as they often are and you are right as you often are. Unfortunately right or wrong has little to do with this. <br /><br />Eventually, maybe as soon as next year, there will be a sales tax on Internet sales. If we leave this task up to each State we will have a jumbled mess, look what they are doing right now with the Affiliate wars.<br /><br />If we leave it up to the Feds it will be a mess also. I hate taxes and they are never fairly enforced. As online retailers we need to get in their and negotiate an equitable plan rather than let the Government decide this.<br /><br />Just my 15%Randy Smythehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07271958472975660101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-80359439122725878832009-07-03T10:41:09.934-07:002009-07-03T10:41:09.934-07:00Keith,<br /><br />In most cases you are paying state tax when you cross the border and buy at B&amp;M - you pay the other state sales tax.Orenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372127411920568481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-63642815028682632772009-07-03T10:20:23.866-07:002009-07-03T10:20:23.866-07:00The LA Times came out today wanting to do away with Quill vs. ND (1992)<br />- http://tinyurl.com/kqvbeo <br />I wrote a response to the editor, and posted it to my blog<br />http://www.thedumbdog.com/blog/?p=69<br />Many points are what I have stated here before, but I also added:<br />~ Shopping online is greener. No travel, no gas consumed, no waiting in line. Shouldn’t that deserve a tax advantage for helping to save the planet?<br />Your one tax fits all sounds nice Randy, but it does not address other variables, such as ... is shipping included in the tax? For some States, it is, and others it is not.<br />And what about those buyers who travel out of State to buy goods from a B&amp;M to save on sales tax. To me, it is the same as buying online. They should suffer the same penalty as we do, should such laws go in effect.Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133855354402741785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-76399846907688043562009-07-03T09:58:35.533-07:002009-07-03T09:58:35.533-07:00Anonymous,<br /><br />I hate the idea too and if I thought fighting it like Amazon and Overstock are doing would ultimately win a permanent ban of online sales tax, I would be shouting my support from the mountain top.<br /><br />I prefer taxes on consumption to taxes on income, but that is a completlely different discussion.<br /><br />We will have a national sales tax eventually and it will be sooner rather than later. <br /><br />I make most of my online purchases from 3P merchants at Buy.com and even though many of those merchants are located outside of California, I still have to pay 8.75% in Sales Tax. <br /><br />The current system is not fair to anyone, really and gives some online sites a competitive advantage. In my view a 4-5% national online sales tax would be the best solution to the problem.Randy Smythehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07271958472975660101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-73704005741622451862009-07-02T22:51:48.078-07:002009-07-02T22:51:48.078-07:00The top marginal income tax rate in the USA was 7% in 1913. Within 5 years, the top marginal rate was 77%. The top marginal rate was 94% in World War II, and remained over 90% until Kennedy offered tax relief by lowering the rate to a mere 70%.<br /><br />It&#39;s all well and good to propose a &#39;reasonable&#39; 4 to 5% national sales tax, but once it&#39;s in, it&#39;s in. And then every time some government pinhead needs money, they&#39;ll start bumping the rate up. <br /><br />Right now, there&#39;s a lot of pinheads and they need a lot of money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-74556269788838225222009-07-02T07:21:55.176-07:002009-07-02T07:21:55.176-07:00Keith,<br /><br />If your idea could be acted upon, I would certainly be all for it. On principle i agree with you fully but as a practical matter, sales tax is coming so let&#39;s ease into it.<br /><br />I agree that my idea requires a federal solution and my only thought is: &quot;If sales tax is coming to the web&quot; then I&#39;m willing to have a federal solution.<br /><br />I also don&#39;t beleive that local municipalities should participate in the tax. Basically 4-5% goes to each state a very simple compromise.<br /><br />Only becasue it is a foregone conclusion that &quot;the tax is coming&quot;<br /><br />I do believe your idea is the best though.Randy Smythehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07271958472975660101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-74949266460451033322009-07-02T07:10:28.894-07:002009-07-02T07:10:28.894-07:00Randy,<br /><br />I, like you, know Internet Sales tax will be coming sooner or later. I am against any tax collection for out-of-state sales.<br /><br />B&amp;M disadvantage?<br />~ An Internet business does not have the same tax load on a community as a B&amp;M. They don&#39;t need police/fire/sanitation services that a B&amp;M does.<br />~ You can&#39;t touch or feel an item online, and waiting for an answer to an email question can take days. Not so in a B&amp;M.<br />~ What rule prevents a B&amp;M from selling online?<br />~ For in-state sales, both B&amp;M and Internet sellers collect and remit Sales tax.<br /><br />The inequality, as legislators see it, is a need for more tax revenue.<br />Item price has historically been lower on the Internet. Even adding sales tax, most of the time, online would still be cheaper. Let the B&amp;M whine.<br /><br />Your solution would be simple. My problem is that it would need to be Federally mandated. That destroys States Rights. We have so few rights left, lets not throw this one away too. Add to the fact that legislators don&#39;t know how to write simple law (and are clueless about online sales) it would end up being more of a complicated mess than it is now.<br /><br />My solution is to have the States enforce existing law ... Use Tax. This puts the burden where it belongs, on the consumer, not the seller. It&#39;s easy to do too. Have the Merchant Accounts (Visa, MC, PayPal) collect the tax and remit directly to the States (States pay the MA fees) More details here:<br />http://www.thedumbdog.com/blog/?p=62<br /> Amazon/eBay/PayPal already have the data, and software is available. Uploading cart info to the MA is simple and would allow instant tax assessment on the consumer. This system would also work for those who cross state lines and buy from a B&amp;M (to save on taxes) the billing/shipping info on the credit card would be used to asses and collect the use tax. <br />A B&amp;M or Online seller should not be concerned where a buyer lives if it is out-of state. They should also not be concerned, or care, that a little town in the boonies wants an extra 1% tax for a soccer field &#39;for the children&#39; If they are so concerned at lost tax revenue, then push that state to enforce existing law, not write new law that puts small business out of business.<br />SST and/or an Internet tax will do exactly that.<br />Keith<br />aka xcergyKeithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06133855354402741785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-23732897402088737532009-02-24T01:02:00.000-08:002009-02-24T01:02:00.000-08:00In my opinion, regardless if the states and /or local governments need additional revenue of any sort,i think that people and businesses of all likes should put up a very harsh fight in regards to any type of new taxation. Why? Because first of all, given the fact that we're in a global recession (yes, it's global in nature)raising, yet alone, enforcing any type of new tax is just down right incomprehensible. In other words,if folks don't have the funds yet alone aren't spending due to the financial calamity, what makes you think that by increasing cost / taxes that your budget woes would be resolved (I mean it doesn't take a rocket science to configure this stuff out, but then again, i have to keep reminding myself who we're dealing with).<BR/>Another thing to consider in which should make people and businesses united in preventing any type of new taxation is the fact that, it has been shown, that when governments don't practice logical spending / accounting practices, it grants them a license to be reckless, because at the end of the day, the burden will ultimately be put on the U.S. taxpaper.By showing resistance, it will put our elected officials in a position in which will enforce them to comply with practices that will be more ethnical and hopefully more practical for the citizens that elected them to do a job and make decisions that will be in the best interest of society.<BR/>You don't need new taxes...PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!!Enforcing new taxes just create more ways for the government to take more out of the pockets of hard working folks and / or businesses that are struggling as it is.Remember this, reckless spending from our government was one of the key fundamentals that got use into this mess. Power for the people by the people!!! Just my 2 cents.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-63742660642202122862009-01-18T20:42:00.000-08:002009-01-18T20:42:00.000-08:00Anonymous,<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, reasonable minds just won't rule in this issue. Hopefully Amazon takes it to the Supreme Court.<BR/><BR/>My suggestion and the suggestion of others like BMX are not likely to be considered.Randy Smythehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07271958472975660101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-30231748477951746912009-01-18T20:22:00.000-08:002009-01-18T20:22:00.000-08:00I think Amazon should go all the way to the highest court with this one. The politicans in charge don't know how to control spending with their bloated budgets. Why should online retsilers and customers suffer. Isn't about time the public gets a break from all this taxing. New York is one of the highest taxed states to live in,not to mention Chicago who pays the highest sales tax. Let these politicians like Patterson and Bloomberg tighten their belts. Patterson is so ridiculous he wants to tax soda at 18 percent at the supermarkets. This guy is nuts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-20654360902401688452009-01-16T19:16:00.000-08:002009-01-16T19:16:00.000-08:00Tula,<BR/><BR/>I agree with you, but unless there is a better method for enforcing use tax, this is an approach that could work.<BR/><BR/>The government wants the money collected when the sale is made, unfortunately since B&amp;M retailers already collect that tax, the government is going to make that the responsibility of the online retailer.Randy Smythehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07271958472975660101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-29215411075754502992009-01-16T19:02:00.000-08:002009-01-16T19:02:00.000-08:00My biggest argument against internet sales taxes is that online stores don&#39;t use the services of the states where they have no physical presence. A B&amp;M location uses services, like police, fire, street maintenance, etc... Why should an online retailer with no presence in a state have to pay that state for anything? It&#39;s the buyer&#39;s responsibility to pay the appropriate taxes to his or her locality, not the seller&#39;s.tulanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-14300998741693394532009-01-15T18:34:00.000-08:002009-01-15T18:34:00.000-08:00Oren, <BR/><BR/>In most states sellers have to collect sales tax. It is not the ideal approach and I would prefer that "use" tax be enforced but that is a not going to happen.<BR/><BR/>The responsibility will fall on the people/companies that collect the payment.Randy Smythehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07271958472975660101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35530817.post-71940152344477353872009-01-15T18:16:00.000-08:002009-01-15T18:16:00.000-08:00Randy,<BR/><BR/>I still fail to see why us sellers have to be the tax collectors.<BR/><BR/>I still think that VT way is the way to do it.<BR/><BR/>In this way each state make the decision whether or not to tax its ppl for buyin over the internet.<BR/><BR/>Again VT levy tax on ppl based on their income.Orenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372127411920568481noreply@blogger.com