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PSPS

(15,349 posts)

19. This is the right thing to do

Mon Apr 22, 2013, 06:59 PM

Apr 2013

Actually, Amazon, Dell and other online retailers already do this for many of their sales. And it is a requirement anyway if they have a physical presence in your state. But the idea that someone purchasing something online shouldn't have to pay the sales tax they would have to if they bought it at a local store doesn't hold up. The same infrastructure is needed to deliver the goods and its maintenance is paid for through these taxes.

Also, note that this is not an income item for online retailers. The tax amount is merely collected by them and then remitted to the purchaser's state/city. And people selling things through eBay won't have to do anything extra either, as eBay (and others of their ilk) already have calculation/remittance built in to their system.

Granted, sales taxes are regressive in nature. But carving out an exception for online retailers isn't the way to address that problem.

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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