Do your shopping now, Tax-free Internet shopping is about to go away.

[DietDrThunder]

I'll let you read the article, but here comes the next tax grab.

http://news.yahoo.com/tax-free-internet-shopping-jeopardized-063059401.html

I typically shopped from Amazon only if their prices were comparable and if I'd get free shipping. But since Amazon made a deal with Texas on the collection of sales tax, I no longer shop there. The majority of my shopping is from Newegg since they usually have the best prices and free shipping. I guess I'd better go ahead and order that new video card and 60" TV now so I can get the free shipping and save over $250 in sales taxes.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I'll let you read the article, but here comes the next tax grab.

http://news.yahoo.com/tax-free-internet-shopping-jeopardized-063059401.html

I typically shopped from Amazon only if their prices were comparable and if I'd get free shipping. But since Amazon made a deal with Texas on the collection of sales tax, I no longer shop there. The majority of my shopping is from Newegg since they usually have the best prices and free shipping. I guess I'd better go ahead and order that new video card and 60" TV now so I can get the free shipping and save over $250 in sales taxes.

ITT: Complete retards who don't understand tax law, nor the fact that they owe said tax dollars and could be persued for it

 

[Anubis]

i live in NY
tax free internet shopping went away like a decade ago

its still cheaper than buying local

 

[cubby1223]

I'll let you read the article, but here comes the next tax grab.
...
I typically shopped from Amazon only if their prices were comparable and if I'd get free shipping. But since Amazon made a deal with Texas on the collection of sales tax, I no longer shop there.

It's interesting how you choose where to shop based on which businesses are subject to collecting tax and which are not.

In other words, you support the government picking winners and losers in the marketplace.

Yes I'm twisting words a bit, but the end result is the exact same, you cannot separate these two concepts.

 

[cubby1223]

The base fact is we need small local businesses for employment, for towns to survive. Amazon does not and cannot employ the world. It is not fair they are outside the grasps of tax collection while local businesses are forced to collect.

Instead of directing your rage to collecting internet sales tax, direct your rage to collecting all forms of sales tax. I bet you never created a thread all pissed off that you are forced to pay tax at local businesses, have you? Of course not, because it is just accepted, the way it's always been.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

The base fact is we need small local businesses for employment, for towns to survive. Amazon does not and cannot employ the world. It is not fair they are outside the grasps of tax collection while local businesses are forced to collect.

Instead of directing your rage to collecting internet sales tax, direct your rage to collecting all forms of sales tax. I bet you never created a thread all pissed off that you are forced to pay tax at local businesses, have you? Of course not, because it is just accepted, the way it's always been.

If this goes into effect, Amazon will have the trigger pulled to put a warehouse/shipping center in every state and major city to produce 1 day shipments. There are worried that Amazon will kill retail altogether, let alone mom and pop / startups.

 

[DietDrThunder]

It's interesting how you choose where to shop based on which businesses are subject to collecting tax and which are not.

In other words, you support the government picking winners and losers in the marketplace.

Yes I'm twisting words a bit, but the end result is the exact same, you cannot separate these two concepts.

No, I've picked the winners and losers. I don't shop at brick-and-morters for electronics/computers/appliances for price, convenience, and selection. Buying from an e-taler without sales tax is just an added bonus. Plus, I don't have to get off my lazy ass to shop there or carry the item home. Be honest. Do would you really buy a video card from Best Buy?

 

[Darwin333]

Its not tax free, the merchant simply isn't paying the taxes that you owe for you.

 

[cubby1223]

If this goes into effect, Amazon will have the trigger pulled to put a warehouse/shipping center in every state and major city to produce 1 day shipments. There are worried that Amazon will kill retail altogether, let alone mom and pop / startups.

These warehouses cost money and employ people.

And, there is nothing stopping them from doing this right now. Is it any different than what Wal-Mart plans?

Plus having more and more warehouses creates more overhead and administration to organize it all, prices go up.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I live in a state without sales tax, so all of this is completely irrelevant to me. But from an outside perspective, those taxes are still due to the state, you're just failing to pay them at the end of the year as the law says you should. A business collecting sales tax is simply making life easier for you, as you don't need to keep track of every purchase made for an entire year. So while I understand a personal desire to not have to pay the sales tax, in the end, it's just helping to enforce laws that already exist within your jurisdiction.

 

[Matt1970]

i live in NY
tax free internet shopping went away like a decade ago

its still cheaper than buying local

Yep, in NY you are supposed to pay your own sales tax directly to the state on anything you purchase out of state. They haven't collected much that way.

If it passed there are some 9,600 tax jurisdictions across the U.S you will have to keep track of. If you have software to do it, then fine. If not, good luck.

To be fair this legislation has come up more times than I can remember and it never passes.

 

[cubby1223]

No, I've picked the winners and losers. I don't shop at brick-and-morters for electronics/computers/appliances for price, convenience, and selection. Buying from an e-taler without sales tax is just an added bonus. Plus, I don't have to get off my lazy ass to shop there or carry the item home. Be honest. Do would you really buy a video card from Best Buy?

You pick winners and losers based on how the government picks winners and losers. You just said you stopped shopping at Amazon based on Texas government having them collect sales taxes

 

[Phanuel]

Be honest. Do would you really buy a video card from Best Buy?

If their pricing was at all competitive/had the selection? Yes.

 

[PokerGuy]

My anger isn't that they're trying to collect this, my anger is that they've jacked up the tax rates to an absurd level. Many people have been able to dodge the ridiculous taxes by shopping with etailers, but that is unfair to local businesses. The bottom line is we need to get rid of the idiot spenders in government, then we wouldn't have to pay such absurd sales taxes.

 

[Matt1970]

Its not tax free, the merchant simply isn't paying the taxes that you owe for you.

That's not true. Most state to state transations are sales tax free. Only a couple states require you to pay the tax yourself.

 

[cubby1223]

If it passed there are some 9,600 tax jurisdictions across the U.S you will have to keep track of. If you have software to do it, then fine. If not, good luck.

This is the one thing that got me. Last week the talk radio here had an activist promoting internet taxes, and it was all fine and all until he came up to this point, he mentioned that states provide taxing software at a $10 or $15 per month charge. Multiplied by 50 states that is outrageous!

 

[Anubis]

Yep, in NY you are supposed to pay your own sales tax directly to the state on anything you purchase out of state. They haven't collected much that way.

If it passed there are some 9,600 tax jurisdictions across the U.S you will have to keep track of. If you have software to do it, then fine. If not, good luck.

To be fair this legislation has come up more times than I can remember and it never passes.

well there is that and also the fact that 90% of the online retailes charge tax for those of is in NY anyway

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Be honest. Do would you really buy a video card from Best Buy?

No, but that's not really Best Buy's specialty. I wouldn't go to Safeway to buy blu-rays even though they may stock a handful. If I'm specifically looking for a brick and mortar for a video card, I'd go with Fry's Electronics or a local computer shop, which will not only offer reasonably competitive prices, they'll also have a significantly wider selection than Best Buy.

 

[cubby1223]

Be honest. Do would you really buy a video card from Best Buy?

I've bought and still do buy electronics from Best Buy. Couple weeks ago I purchased 8gb ram for my laptop while I was out, Best Buy's price was the exact same as Amazon's price. If I need a video card to take to a client to fix a computer, so the business can continue operations for the day, have no problem buying one from Best Buy.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

These warehouses cost money and employ people.

And, there is nothing stopping them from doing this right now. Is it any different than what Wal-Mart plans?

Plus having more and more warehouses creates more overhead and administration to organize it all, prices go up.

worker overhead for 1 warehouse per major city is JACKSHIT compared to

worker overhead
sales overhead
retail overhead
and management overhead

for 10+ retail store locations per major city. Weeee bit of a difference. I guess I'm mainly talking against the likes of Best Buy, but I also think Walmart is a bit late to the game. Either way, different topic.

 

[cubby1223]

No, but that's not really Best Buy's specialty. I wouldn't go to Safeway to buy blu-rays even though they may stock a handful. If I'm specifically looking for a brick and mortar for a video card, I'd go with Fry's Electronics or a local computer shop, which will not only offer reasonably competitive prices, they'll also have a significantly wider selection than Best Buy.

Nearest Fry's to me is an hour-and-a-half drive. Next town over where I usually am on work has a Best Buy, they used to have a decent local computer shop for refurbished parts, but there wasn't enough business and they closed up their retail store.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

That's not true. Most state to state transations are sales tax free. Only a couple states require you to pay the tax yourself.

uh wut? :|

 

[DietDrThunder]

Its not tax free, the merchant simply isn't paying the taxes that you owe for you.

Nope, according to Texas State Law a retailer is only required to collect sales tax from customers if the seller has a physical presence, i.e. Amazon.

Do I feel guilty over not paying $250 in sales taxes? Nope.

 

[cubby1223]

worker overhead for 1 warehouse per major city is JACKSHIT compared to

worker overhead
sales overhead
retail overhead
and management overhead

for 10+ locations per major city. Weeee bit of a difference. I guess I'm mainly talking against the likes of Best Buy, but I also think Walmart is a bit late to the game. Either way, different topic.

What exactly are you trying to prove? I never said it's cheaper to run a retail location than a warehouse.

Amazon puts up warehouses in every state, it'll raise their costs, prices go up, employment goes up in that city, and cause people like this thread's creator to move away to next e-tailer who has one national warehouse and who's 60" tv is $2 cheaper. But at least the difference in price is not based on which location the government includes or excludes from tax collection.

 

[Agent11]

I live in Oregon. No sales tax. Haha!