"Internet Sales Tax"

[Kristin]

Anyone watching this one? think Congress will pass it?

You don't even want to get me started, this one's too close to home.

[glo85cam]

Think they probably will.

[love2stamp]

I've been watching, really hope that it doesn't get passed. It will be nightmare for online business owners.

[PezKat]

I think it would be much more fair for *everyone* to pay tax on internet purchases, instead of just the 2% or whatever small portion of us that currently do it yearly via use tax.

[Celticrose]

I haven't paid much attention to the details, but I already pay tax on almost everything online. Amazon started taxing awhile back, so I guess I thought this was already enacted. I suppose I should look up the details.

[Charleneanne]

yeah that has been pretty controversial out here in California for a while now. Ticks me off.

[Ayla]

I can only imagine it to be a nightmare for businesses. I shop here "locally", so I still pay sales tax. I do very little other online shopping, so it doesn't much affect me personally. But I wouldn't want to be a "small" business owner with all the headaches it must involve!

[killarney_rose]

Kristin, I do sympathize greatly. I can not even imagine the headache with the unbelievable amount of taxing authorities in Texas alone. Our state sales tax is divided up between states and incorporated areas (cities & towns).

I've already sent notice to my US Rep, I am not in favor of it.

Personally if I have to cut my spending by 5% then why can't a governmental entity do the same? The vast majority of us since the collapse of NYSE in 2008 have seen our spending power cut by inflation. I'm included as a small business owner.

Estimates are the states will gain 23 billon more of our dollars. And since when did governments ever stop raising taxes. Even Texas keeps raising taxes. I will pay an approximate $450 more according to my lender this year just because of my Houston area home. In 12 years of owning this home I've had 9 years my taxes on it have gone up. I started out paying $967 and change on my payment and now it looks to push just below $1500. And it is totally wrong as some have reported that this tax will increase competition between small business. Taxes only hinder competition.

My question, when will we start term limiting these congressman, senators, as well as state, county, and city officials out of office and not elect them to some other office. We don't need a law to do that. Maybe then they will learn they need to do their so called "more" with less. And that means both parties!

[butterfly843]

I hope they don't pass it, but I'm sure they will. I shop a ton online and am watching to see what happens with it.

[writerlady]

I sure hope they don't pass it. Walmart is the only store we have since they shut everything else down... so the only place I can buy certain things is online. I keep writing to my senators and congressmen, but I guess it depends who's paying them this week.

[Kristin]

Even if there is 'free' software for online retailers to figure sales tax in all 9,600 taxing jurisdictions, it will be a nightmare getting it to work with current shopping cart software. And then there's the possible audit issue from the 45-ish states. And sales tax 'holidays' in some places. And knowing what is and what isn't taxable ... it's complicated.

Buttons, we sell buttons! but in some states it falls under clothing, so they're exempt. Oh, I can go on and on but won't. Just keeping my fingers crossed.

[Deanna13]

Anything they can tax they're gonna tax! Boo! Hiss! We pay way too much tax the way it is now.

[sdwhru]

I'm so against it. As far as the use tax, take it off your return. In Oklahoma if I buy something in Kansas and drive it across state lines the state wants you to pay use tax on it. Same if you buy anything online, they want you to pay use tax on it. They can kiss my @%#!!! One of the reasons I buy lots online is the cost of our sales tax 8.5% and they keep jacking it up. They raised our sales tax in Norman for the cost of the jail and it has been paid off well over 1 year and you think our sales tax has gone down? Hell, no. They want to raise it more to do this or that unnecessary bureaucratic bullshit. Like I said I'm just fed up.

[1grandma]

Anyway to get more money except cut their own salary or benefits.

[PezKat]

Yeah, what I said... so many of you think that if you buy online, you don't owe tax! YOU DO! It's called Use Tax, you are supposed to pay it with your state return - and if you don't then you're breaking the law. Obviously not everyone cares, but some people don't even know. It's difficult to enforce so it's not. Meanwhile the few of us who do, pay more than the rest and it's very unfair. No one is trying to "add" or "raise" taxes, just get what people already owe but aren't paying.

I don't know what the solution is - obviously it would be a headache for smaller retailers. Amazon will start charging in Indiana soon & that's my main online shopping so yay!

[Ayla]

Yeah, what I said... so many of you think that if you buy online, you don't owe tax! YOU DO! It's called Use Tax, you are supposed to pay it with your state return - and if you don't then you're breaking the law. Obviously not everyone cares, but some people don't even know. It's difficult to enforce so it's not. Meanwhile the few of us who do, pay more than the rest and it's very unfair. No one is trying to "add" or "raise" taxes, just get what people already owe but aren't paying.

I don't know what the solution is - obviously it would be a headache for smaller retailers. Amazon will start charging in Indiana soon & that's my main online shopping so yay!

I don't object so much to paying use tax, I just don't like the burden on smaller companies, like Kristin mentioned, to try to keep current with all the laws in all the states, not to mention I can see them trying to tax sales that go abroad, like our Canadian neighbors. It's a nightmare! And that'll increase OUR costs, by making them add more staff to handle the requirements!

[writerlady]

Dh and I keep track of what we spend online and declare it at tax time, but I still don't want the new tax law!