Florida users must pay tax on Internet purchases

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Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
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Originally posted by: Mxylplyx
Alabama requires it too. I imagine I cant count on one hand how many people actually fill out that line on their tax forms.

My wife was reading a book on photography as a business, and it said that you should be careful to pay all of your use tax if you run a business. If you write something off and you didn't pay sales tax or use tax on it, they can nail you for that.
 

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
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I live in Florida & have never had any experience with a use tax. We don't have income taxes and I don't own a house, so the only state taxes I ever pay are for sales tax when I'm charged it ( & gas and vehicle registration, too, i guess) . I don't even know how to pay a use tax :confused:
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
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Originally posted by: preslove
I live in Florida & have never had any experience with a use tax. We don't have income taxes and I don't own a house, so the only state taxes I ever pay are for sales tax when I'm charged it ( & gas and vehicle registration, too, i guess) . I don't even know how to pay a use tax :confused:

Here's a FL form DR-1 for you.


BOOM you have been served.


j/k
 

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
16,754
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Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis
Originally posted by: preslove
I live in Florida & have never had any experience with a use tax. We don't have income taxes and I don't own a house, so the only state taxes I ever pay are for sales tax when I'm charged it ( & gas and vehicle registration, too, i guess) . I don't even know how to pay a use tax :confused:

Here's a FL form DR-1 for you.


BOOM you have been served.


j/k

Heh, I guess one benefit of living in a state run by incompetent morons is that they suck at collecting taxes :p

It also means they suck at providing services :(
 

Orsorum

Lifer
Dec 26, 2001
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Every state with a sales tax will have some form of a compensating use tax. It's a Constitutional requirement; any state that does not impose one could get hit hard by a Commerce Clause argument against the imposition of the sales tax. If in-state retailers or those with nexus are required to collect sales tax (effectively raising the cost of their products by 5-10%) but retailers lacking nexus are not, and there is no use tax imposed on consumers, then the state would be favoring those retailers lacking nexus and thus interfering with interstate commerce.
 

Sphexi

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2005
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Use tax is standard, a lot of states are considering changing it from an "optional" line item, to something that is required and calculated as a percentage of your total income. Obviously very few people pay it seriously, I'd imagine those most at risk of being audited would though.

I always put in a small item there, like $20 or so, just to make it look like I cared.
 

edro

Lifer
Apr 5, 2002
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Ohio has the same thing.

Every year when you do your state taxes, they ask the dollar amount that you purchased over the internet from out of state.
Every year, I say $0.00. :)
 

Orsorum

Lifer
Dec 26, 2001
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Many states will occasionally audit individuals; however, most states that I have dealt with regarding use tax compliance informally state that they focus the vast majority of their time on businesses. Businesses, on average, expend far more money buying goods out of state and thus have enough potential use tax liability to justify audits and other compliance actions.

Occasionally states will zero in on high dollar offenders (artwork, etc.) and enforce compliance. However, most individuals do not practice good record keeping regarding their day to day purchases and thus compliance becomes mere guesswork. Enforcement of the average citizen's use tax liability is simply impractical.

The common exception is that many states DMVs will assess use tax when a car/boat/airplane purchased out of state is brought into the state and licensed.
 

erub

Diamond Member
Jun 21, 2000
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the Florida form is complicated, at least TX form is simple :p I highly doubt that anyone fills out either though, especially in these and the couple of other states lacking a state income tax return to file..
 

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
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Originally posted by: Slew Foot
They can pry their tax from my cold dead hands.

That's exactly how I feel, I bought a new car in '05 and paid over $1200 in sales tax.
So now I'm supposed to dig through my Amazon and Newegg purchaces so I can cough
up more?? No way, you greedy stinking bastards!!