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Purveyor

(29,876 posts) Mon Apr 22, 2013, 06:30 PM Apr 2013

White House: Internet Sales Tax ‘Will Level The Playing Field’ [View all]

Source: Agence France-Presse

The White House Monday backed a Senate bill to force online retailers like Amazon and eBay to collect state and local sales taxes, hoping to end a cost disadvantage hampering bricks and mortar businesses.

The bill, which was being debated in the Senate on Monday, could lead to the recouping of $11 billion in lost annual sales taxes, according to a University of Tennessee research study.

“We believe that the Marketplace Fairness Act will level the playing field for local small-business retailers, who are undercut every day by out-of-state online companies,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

“Today, while local small-business retailers follow the law and collect sales taxes from customers who make purchases in their stores, many big-business online and catalog retailers do not collect the same taxes.”

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/22/white-house-internet-sales-tax-will-level-the-playing-field/

159 replies

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White House: Internet Sales Tax ‘Will Level The Playing Field’ [View all] Purveyor Apr 2013 OP

WHAT???? The only thing keeping any of these brick and mortar retailers honest is internet pricing. swayne Apr 2013 #1

How sad. Local book stores are going broke by the droves. Amazon is killing local businesses. rhett o rick Apr 2013 #32

Agreed. Amazon and other companies have outright abused the tax free status cstanleytech Apr 2013 #39

not sure why Steerpike Apr 2013 #157

I am willing to bet it has something to do with tax break deals they cstanleytech Apr 2013 #158

I don't think it has to do with "more stuff" KatyMan Apr 2013 #114

And cars killed the buggy industry marshall Apr 2013 #122

Ahhh yes. So the mom & pop book stores close and mom & pop get to go to work in the Amazon sweat rhett o rick Apr 2013 #137

I don't think it's taxes that stopped local bookstores. To expensive to have a building,inventory & Sunlei Apr 2013 #129

Post removed Post removed Apr 2013 #64

I'm willing to pay the sales tax. I shouldn't get to avoid it just because I buy on-line. SharonAnn Apr 2013 #123

Oh Cal Carpenter Apr 2013 #138

most are honest..most employ people in your area which helps your local economy Demonaut Apr 2013 #143

I have no problems with this - what I do have problems with hedgehog Apr 2013 #2

Ack! I knew the free ride wouldn't last. tridim Apr 2013 #3

Good! Amazon is the walmart of the internet. bushisanidiot Apr 2013 #6

I just bought some American made pans on Amazon. tridim Apr 2013 #11

No, it won't. It will be a huge boon to them. harmonicon Apr 2013 #46

Where I live sales tax is 8.75%. And small business here already collects it. bemildred Apr 2013 #62

I think you missed my point. harmonicon Apr 2013 #68

And I think you missed mine. nt bemildred Apr 2013 #69

Was your point that you can posit a false dichotomy? (nt) harmonicon Apr 2013 #71

Like I said, you missed it. nt bemildred Apr 2013 #72

Ok, enlighten me. harmonicon Apr 2013 #74

Sorry, I'm not going to spend the next half-hour arguing about your misconceptions. nt bemildred Apr 2013 #79

Sorry for trying to clear up your radical misconceptions. (nt) harmonicon Apr 2013 #80

Have a nice day. nt bemildred Apr 2013 #81

To add to your point wercal Apr 2013 #130

"lost sales tax revenue to states" loyalsister Apr 2013 #154

There are small online businesses. I think of the ecig shops because i have dealings with them Tunkamerica Apr 2013 #97

It's not hard to collect sales tax, that is just a percentage of each sale. Sunlei Apr 2013 #104

Not hard to collect..... Purplehazed Apr 2013 #115

Right, so they should stick to local business online unless they want to go to all that trouble too. bemildred Apr 2013 #119

Not sure what you mean by market forces. Purplehazed Apr 2013 #120

Props for a coherent argument. I'll get back when I have a chance to digest it. bemildred Apr 2013 #121

OK, now I'll see what I can do: bemildred Apr 2013 #142

So the local ecig shop here, 30 miles away... orders their inventory from other online retailers Tunkamerica Apr 2013 #152

Indeed, and what does that have to do with whether they should collect sales tax? bemildred Apr 2013 #153

Not completely sure Steerpike Apr 2013 #156

Yes, I was made aware of this several days after the original post. Tunkamerica May 2013 #159

Smaller online sellers don't make a million dollars. graham4anything Apr 2013 #90

I don't think you have to worry about Amazon dying from this Cal Carpenter Apr 2013 #139

If that happens it will be big news, so keep an eye out. tridim Apr 2013 #141

Cool! Newest Reality Apr 2013 #4

Sales Taxes Hurt the Poor!!! earthside Apr 2013 #65

Spot on! Newest Reality Apr 2013 #82

Amazon doesn't use your roads? jberryhill Apr 2013 #126

Yup. UPS uses our roads. earthside Apr 2013 #132

Good! It seems only fair. bushisanidiot Apr 2013 #5

If what you want is off-the-shelf and just waiting for you. Nearby. Igel Apr 2013 #54

Specialty stores are fewer anymore csziggy Apr 2013 #110

Post removed Post removed Apr 2013 #67

This is screwed. Brick and motor can sell on the internet upaloopa Apr 2013 #7

... and if you buy from them online, you already have to pay sales tax William Seger Apr 2013 #20

Whenever I purchase from Best Buy, RebelOne Apr 2013 #24

I do, too, but that wasn't the point William Seger Apr 2013 #34

"Brick and motor (sic)" cant compete with Amazon no matter how you try rhett o rick Apr 2013 #33

But the top income bracket is a sacred cow /nt Ash_F Apr 2013 #8

Want to level the playing field? TAX the RICH. Raise the SS Cap. nt valerief Apr 2013 #9

Amen and Thank You! SoapBox Apr 2013 #18

It's so obvious It makes me crazy - and very angry! AAO Apr 2013 #23

Amen to that Rebl Apr 2013 #60

Where's the profit to congressmen, senators or presidents in that? (n/t) Nihil Apr 2013 #108

Bingo! nt valerief Apr 2013 #118

+1,000,000 Auggie Apr 2013 #127

Screw this regressive tax. Up the income tax on the highest earners if you need the $$$ byeya Apr 2013 #10

OMG. liberalmuse Apr 2013 #12

I'm not certain that's true. Occulus Apr 2013 #29

There's 4,900 different sales tax rates in the country. jeff47 Apr 2013 #94

There are different sales tax rates in the 100k city I live in Hayabusa Apr 2013 #107

strong on interent taxes, weak on republicans. that's the "white house" for ya nt msongs Apr 2013 #13

+ 300000000000000000 russspeakeasy Apr 2013 #144

This message was self-deleted by its author guyton Apr 2013 #14

This message was self-deleted by its author guyton Apr 2013 #25

Thanks for posting that link, everyone should read the article GETPLANING Apr 2013 #87

Shipping costs has just gotten crazy, indeed. eom Purveyor Apr 2013 #17

Don't know where you shop but I usually pay neither bowens43 Apr 2013 #58

It won't recoup anything rocktivity Apr 2013 #15

This is the right thing to do PSPS Apr 2013 #19

One could remove local sales taxes and replace with a progressive income tax. AtheistCrusader Apr 2013 #21

Won't work unless you reclass investment and capital gains as regular income Paulie Apr 2013 #47

Re class investments ode2joi Apr 2013 #98

I agree. But carving out an unfair exemption to sales taxes isn't the way to accomplish that. PSPS Apr 2013 #76

Complete nonsense. If I buy something in California, why fuck should I have to pay sales tax in NC? bowens43 Apr 2013 #56

This message was self-deleted by its author bowens43 Apr 2013 #57

That's pretty teabaggery PSPS Apr 2013 #75

I doubt this will have much effect - most people use the internet for convenience. AAO Apr 2013 #22

Really? Everyone I know uses it to avoid sales tax and get a better price. bowens43 Apr 2013 #55

Maybe it's just me. I'm lazy. There are the other benefits, too. AAO Apr 2013 #73

Not just you. Me too. vi5 Apr 2013 #101

Laziness is an American virtue! AAO Apr 2013 #111

If laziness is a virtue vi5 Apr 2013 #116

I'm the freaking Pope of laziness! AAO Apr 2013 #117

I agree A Little Weird Apr 2013 #83

Funny how he only cares about "leveling the playing field" when it's the little guy getting leveled. forestpath Apr 2013 #26

Yes, this will be a disaster for our business BrotherIvan Apr 2013 #48

It'll be a disaster for a VERY small business in my own family, too. forestpath Apr 2013 #49

Internet Sales tax should be 20%! Call it the Save Main Street USA tax. ErikJ Apr 2013 #27

Wow! What a ridiculous idea. fuck the consumer, right? bowens43 Apr 2013 #53

So fuck the Mom and Pop indies , right? ErikJ Apr 2013 #61

You do realize Mom and Pop can sell on the Internet too, right? jeff47 Apr 2013 #95

Actually, the last physical thing I Purchased Online Hayabusa Apr 2013 #106

It's not going to level the playing field Lurks Often Apr 2013 #28

I agree. secondvariety Apr 2013 #30

Not to mention all the people who live far from cities dixiegrrrrl Apr 2013 #38

That's why I shop online. n/t tammywammy Apr 2013 #66

ahh the Walmart bill florida08 Apr 2013 #31

I suspect this will give one more HUGE advantage to the Chinese sellers on eBay. Turn CO Blue Apr 2013 #35

There's a federalism problem here. SCOTUS could strike it down. Redfairen Apr 2013 #36

Thre's a discrmination problem here too. dixiegrrrrl Apr 2013 #43

State and local taxes do fall within the scope of federal powers Art_from_Ark Apr 2013 #88

This particular bill is fairly well written. Xithras Apr 2013 #37

The website backend submits the buyers address and the total dixiegrrrrl Apr 2013 #41

Nope. Xithras Apr 2013 #44

I took the quote from YOUR post. dixiegrrrrl Apr 2013 #50

I never said items. I said total. You said items. Xithras Apr 2013 #51

This is all about Amazon.com matt819 Apr 2013 #40

How about eliminating sales taxes all together? Gormy Cuss Apr 2013 #42

Shoppers will still avoid the flawed retail paradigm of profits for the 1%ers just1voice Apr 2013 #45

obama screws the little guy again. why does this man hate the middle class and the poor? bowens43 Apr 2013 #52

These people are dumber then a box of rocks....... bowens43 Apr 2013 #59

Post removed Post removed Apr 2013 #63

TAX INCREASE ! TAX INCREASE ! blkmusclmachine Apr 2013 #70

Amazon has been collecting CA state sales tax on purchases for the past several months Zorro Apr 2013 #77

yes here in Texas, I've been paying Amazon sales tax for years. guess some states lag on this issue. Sunlei Apr 2013 #105

White House seems to be stuck in the mud Harmony Blue Apr 2013 #78

Level the playing field for whom exactly? Someone wake me up when we get a DEM truebrit71 Apr 2013 #84

college bookstores are thieves quadrature Apr 2013 #85

NYT: The Senate voted 74-20 to open debate. Money must've bought the votes. alp227 Apr 2013 #86

Blunt voted yes Hayabusa Apr 2013 #109

I am for this. The tax is on big companies with OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS in income graham4anything Apr 2013 #89

I think this is insane. sofa king Apr 2013 #91

I already pay state taxes on amazon. MrSlayer Apr 2013 #92

My online shopping has already dropped dramatically CountAllVotes Apr 2013 #93

Too many backdoors with Amazon. dipsydoodle Apr 2013 #96

Well this will make it very difficult to sell on-line as a small business. fasttense Apr 2013 #99

They'll raise taxes on us, but leave the 1% alone. alarimer Apr 2013 #100

Now if items UNDER a price ceiling were tax free to sell. that sure would help small business Sunlei Apr 2013 #102

If I'd wanted to ear the phrase "small businesses" used as a decoy to shelter the rich... Orsino Apr 2013 #103

A sales tax on Wall Street sales would certainly level the playing field. NT booksenkatz Apr 2013 #112

one thing I think d_r Apr 2013 #113

When a FTT is placed on Wall Street MindPilot Apr 2013 #124

Great... give a huge advantage to foreign ebay sellers JCMach1 Apr 2013 #125

I've been paying sales tax on Amazon and ebay on new items for years, what states are tax free? Sunlei Apr 2013 #128

Most States Require Everyone to Pay Sales Tax on All Purchased Items PuppyBismark Apr 2013 #131

it's called the Wal-Mart bill Doctor_J Apr 2013 #133

Point of Origin Munificence Apr 2013 #134

Considering that you're technically doing business at that location Hayabusa Apr 2013 #140

I live in Oregon, no sales tax. bitchkitty Apr 2013 #135

recession... bad time to increase the tax on the poor quadrature Apr 2013 #136

a typical weak attempt by the admin to raise revenues. russspeakeasy Apr 2013 #145

In the most regressive way possible Doctor_J Apr 2013 #147

a stand alone tobacco tax and an internet sales tax. russspeakeasy Apr 2013 #148

Can't see any way that this could blow up in their face... Pelican Apr 2013 #146

And to think, they could be doing something worthwhile like ending corporate welfare. Rex Apr 2013 #149

This will close a lot of small and medium sized businesses Alan M Apr 2013 #150

Isn't it ironic that they want to pass a bill avebury Apr 2013 #151

The CIA is giving Karzai bags of money? Marthe48 Apr 2013 #155