A little of topic, but concerns online purchases

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RCC

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I was just pondering....

The federal gov't is considering to place a tax on any sale that takes place over the net.

What does everyone here think.

I think it is an *ok* idea based on the percentage they want to charge.

I mean if the tax is say 10% I think that is too high, and I think everyone would agree. But if is is 2% I don't think too many would mind.

But at what point is is better to go get it from the store yourself? I find plenty of things cheapier on the net then I do at stores locally, but don't forget you have to pay shipping etc. & that makes it more expensive sometimes. But it is the convenience factor from just clicking a few buttons. I am not one to really care for a few dollars here or there, I would rather pay a little more and NOT go to a mall! I think there are a few of us here that will atest to that.

But I am always looking for a win win situation. Like everyone else is I am sure.

Let me know....

Ric
www.knifesupplies.com
 
You should tell the Government to take a hike!
Taxing a person on the means they use to buy something!! What the hell has it got to do with the govenment if people buy over the net!They couldn't justify a tax for Mall shopping, A tax for mainstreet shopping or a tax for going to the local convenience store!
Just think, it is like someone suggesting a tax on all mail order shopping done over the telephone-does anyone think that is acceptable?
If I lived in the states I would write to my political representatives and tell them in no uncertain terms that this was an unjustifiable tax.
Remember that taxes mean price hikes allround, more damn paperwork, forms to fillout etc. Paying for a new large IRS department to deal with all of this would not be cheap!And it will be the customer that pays, make no mistake!
Why is it that politicians are so bloody grasping!!!!!



[This message has been edited by mjjbecker (edited 18 September 1999).]
 
The government is full of it if they think I'll stand for it! For me its not the convenience, i live in the boonies and usually can't FIND them aywhere else! To answer your question, yes, I do have a slight problem with that.

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Just because I talk to myself doesn't mean I'm crazy. What's wrong with getting a second opinion?
 
That would be some trick www means WORLD WIDE WEB any one government could not tax transactions on the web. They could only require the individuals resident in their country to report income earned and pay tax on it.....Hey they do that now and everyone complies so what is the difference?

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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com

 
The way I understand it is that the tax you would pay is the same as the sales tax you pay now wherever you live.This is a very bad idea.It's going to put alot of companies out of business that only have an internet presence and no actual stores.Not to mention all the crap involved with the filing and paying of taxes for 50 different states faced by these businesses.

Ray
 
As I understand it, if you phone order from a mail order outfit, and they have a retail outlet in your state, you already have to pay the sales tax.

Regarding paying tax for over the net purchases, I am completely against it. Remember that all governments have an insatiable greed for money. They are trying to tax internet phone calls as long distance calls. The politicians will attempt to extract money from the taxpayers however they can. They should leave the net alone, darn it. I do most of my shopping that way, not to avoid taxes, but to avoid the hassle of driving to stores and waiting. It is nice to have the merchandise you want delivered to your front door. I fail to see why I should pay sales tax for this activity.

Walt
 
Boy, you guys sure are ungrateful - after Al Gore went to all the trouble to create the Internet for us!
 
Hey, guys, you should live in the Commonwealth of Virginia! They have spies sitting across from liquor stres in neighboring jurisdictions to call the cops in on anyone bringing in more than a gallon of booze (or wine, or beer). The point is to collect the tax. I understand that they also have a similar system to catch folks who go the North Carolina to buy furniture. I read about a family who did that and got a bill from the Commonwealth in the mail for the state tax. Lovely, isn't it? And Virginia is one of the most conservative states in the nation. I also understand that Virginia is one of the biggest boosters on the Internet tax.

On the plus side, there was an article in a recent "Washington Post" saying that the Internet Tax was dead for the time being.

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh


 
Damn..... what's it gonna be next?
First it was a rally to charge for the actual use of the net. Then came the idea to charge for the phone calls while you were logged on. Then the USPS got the bright idea of charging for every email sent!!! Now this..........
What is it with our government, people?
Every day I grow less and less proud to be an American. It's really sad....

On the bright side, I wouldn't worry too much about it though. All their previous efforts have been shot down so this one will probably suffer the same fate.

And I know this isn't the political forum, but while we're on the subject...
I don't keep up with politics very much, but two of our potential candidates for president, Al Gore and John McCain, are very pro-censorship. These two men have played a very promonent role in my life over the last 15 years. Al Gore's wife is Tipper Gore, head honcho of the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center). She/they were the ones responsible for getting the little stickers put on album covers. Being a musician in my younger years (late 80's) and also a fan of many controversial artists, she was a thorn in my side. Now, I am a competitor in freestyle fighting events and John McCain is the self appointed spokesperson for getting these types of events banned in the United States. Needless to say I would not like to see either of these men in the White House.

I'm through ranting-
Orion
 
Wow, that got a rise!!

NO NO NO NO to any more taxes.

I am taxed to death, and the govmnt can go to $%^&^.

Thomas Zinn
 
If we just say NO when and if it becomes necessary, that should suffice. The NO may include letters to appropriate elected officials. Since this affects many millions, I believe the NO will be echoed very strongly when and if it is needed.
 
I am SURE it is just going to be a *temporary* tax like Income Tax was suppose to be way back when....I just will not even see it in my life!!...HA HA...I needed a good laugh!
 
Administrative Note - This is a "Politics" sort of thread, so I'm locking it in "General" and moving it to "Politics."
- JKM

I haven't checked to see exactly where this Internet sales tax idea stands at the moment, but it's an extension of the long-running argument over sales tax on mail order catalog sales. In the USA, the courts and legislatures all agree that residents of states with a sales tax are obligated to pay sales tax on merchandise they buy from out of state sources and bring into their home state, and the argument is over whether the out of state merchant has any obligation to collect the taxes for other states, or whether the states should try to get the buyers to come forward and file individual "use tax" returns on their own. Good luck!!! You all add up your mail order purchases at the end of the year and write a check for the sales tax to you state tax agency, don't you?

You don't?
wink.gif


As a very small-time Internet dealer, I would find it a major league pain where I sit down to have to know the sales tax rates for 40-something states besides California, and file sales tax returns with every state where I had one or more customers. Some states might get all of $1.98.

However, I'm sure that Land's End, for example, has software that can handle the chore easily. The argument is over big money, and the heavy duty lobbying will be done by the big money mail order companies, with us knife customers and knife dealers watching from the sidelines.


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
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