internet tax: yes or no?

[alphatarget1]

granted, you are not getting local services from your internet tax money but i think .5-1% internet tax to the state is perfectly fine. states are getting less money because people are buying a lot of stuff online these days. i mean, 1% isn't a lot of money for the individual so it shouldn't hurt the sales and people can still save money.

but then after that is implemented... politicans can always change it to some sky-high numbers.

 

[Hammer]

.5%-1% will easily grow to 6-8% soon enough.

 

[Medellon]

Probably the #2 reason I buy online is due to no sales tax. The states make money indirectly when consumers are purchasing products from companies located in their states. We are taxed enough as it is. Politicians just want to get their hands on even more money so they can waste it on ineffective social programs.

 

[Frdm51472]

I am all for it, but then I am a govt employee with a budget crisis, so I might be a bit skewed.

 

[EyeMWing]

_NO_
It would be a matter of weeks before those numbers were revised to double digits.

 

[Black88GTA]

No. .5% - 1% would be OK, but the 8-10% they would hike it up to after a month wouldn't be.

 

[StageLeft]

Taxes need to go DOWN, not up!

 

[Amused]

Absolutely not. With taxes will come regulation. The Internet is the last bastion of true freedom in the world.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Taxes need to go DOWN, not up!

This from a transplanted Canadian!!

 

[Maverick]

uhh...no! What kind of mindless idiot would vote yes to this poll?

 

[thenerdguy]

Fusk NO!

 

[Vic]

What are we getting for this new tax? Nothing? Then hell no.

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: Frdm51472
I am all for it, but then I am a govt employee with a budget crisis, so I might be a bit skewed.

If our Government was a business it would have been banrkrupt a loooong time ago. They need to take a long hard look at the way they piss away our money instead of trying to ream us with more taxes.

Ausm

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: ausm

Originally posted by: Frdm51472
I am all for it, but then I am a govt employee with a budget crisis, so I might be a bit skewed.

If our Government was a business it would have been banrkrupt a loooong time ago. They need to take a long hard look at the way they piss away our money instead of trying to ream us with more taxes.

Ausm

True, but it's easier for them to just keep jacking taxes up.

I'd like to see somebody run for president who guarantees a DECREASE in the government's operating budget (as calculated by percentage of GDP) by 1% a year. That would be interesting... Trim some fat!

 

[ViRGE]

Yes; why should an internet purchase be tax free, but not a B&M purchase? The state/county/city where the store is located should get its usual tax rate enforced

 

[bcterps]

Doesn't matter to me, I live in Delaware.

 

[PanzerIV]

Hell no!! We're already taxed enough. My prime reason for buying online is because of the no tax advantage and lower prices which would be negated were I paying sales tax.

I know it's all going to end someday, though. It's only a matter of time. *sigh*

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: ausm

Originally posted by: Frdm51472
I am all for it, but then I am a govt employee with a budget crisis, so I might be a bit skewed.

If our Government was a business it would have been banrkrupt a loooong time ago. They need to take a long hard look at the way they piss away our money instead of trying to ream us with more taxes.

Ausm

True, but it's easier for them to just keep jacking taxes up.

I'd like to see somebody run for president who guarantees a DECREASE in the government's operating budget (as calculated by percentage of GDP) by 1% a year. That would be interesting... Trim some fat!

I agree totally. They could do the by down sizing government to help cut through the Red tape. I would also Eliminate giving away Billions of dollars in charity when they could use that money to help the needy here at home instead of raising taxes to supplement it.

Ausm

 

[Frdm51472]

Originally posted by: ausm

Originally posted by: Frdm51472
I am all for it, but then I am a govt employee with a budget crisis, so I might be a bit skewed.

If our Government was a business it would have been banrkrupt a loooong time ago. They need to take a long hard look at the way they piss away our money instead of trying to ream us with more taxes.

Ausm

That was a reply to me? Well FYI we come very close to breaking even every year. We also are a very necessary part of government, and a very humanitarian. Although many of our services end up being rendered for free, I personally dont consider them a handout, like welfare. I work for the department of public health, which is otherwise referred to as your local neighborhood health department. So the next time there is an influenza breakout, or something worse, remember our vaccine is all gone, because you wanted that extra $2 a week in your check.

EDIT: also, we work on a skeleton crew payroll, as much of our money as possible goes directly to provide health services to the communities we serve, so overstaffing is not an issue.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Yes; why should an internet purchase be tax free, but not a B&M purchase? The state/county/city where the store is located should get its usual tax rate enforced

This is not about sales tax, but an internet access tax which would show up on your ISP bills. Similar to the taxes you pay on your phone and cable bills.

Originally posted by: Skoorb
True, but it's easier for them to just keep jacking taxes up.

I'd like to see somebody run for president who guarantees a DECREASE in the government's operating budget (as calculated by percentage of GDP) by 1% a year. That would be interesting... Trim some fat!

You're forgetting that government employees (those whose jobs would be threatened by an decrease in government budget) are now one of the nation's largest voting blocs.
Combine that with the "government is charity" bullsh!t that they have sold to the general public (particularly the large low-income voting groups that pay little to no taxes), and we have one hell of an uphill battle ahead us if we want to rid ourselves of this yoke of tyranny.

 

[Ameesh]

It depends on what they spend the revune on.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Frdm51472
So the next time there is an influenza breakout, or something worse, remember our vaccine is all gone, because you wanted that extra $2 a week in your check.

Sounds to me like a good argument for privatizing those vaccines instead of leaving them in government monopoly.

 

[dullard]

In every state that I've bothered to look up the laws for, INTERNET SALES ARE ALREADY TAXED (assuming the state you live in has a sales tax). The states require you to keep receipts for all untaxed internet, phone, mail order purchases, etc and you pay the sales tax on your yearly income tax form. However, the fact is that many people ignore these laws. So we already have internet sales taxes, why add a second internet sales tax?

 

[MaxDepth]

This is an urban myth. Please let it die.

 

[StageLeft]

You're forgetting that government employees (those whose jobs would be threatened by an decrease in government budget) are now one of the nation's largest voting blocs.
Combine that with the "government is charity" bullsh!t that they have sold to the general public (particularly the large low-income voting groups that pay little to no taxes), and we have one hell of an uphill battle ahead us if we want to rid ourselves of this yoke of tyranny.

Quite right, and in fact I am not sure if there is any historical backing to support it, but from what I can tell the majority - or all - of the world's Western nations are, from decade to decade, increasing taxes as a percentage of the average joe's income. As these numbers continue to increase, we're all doomed to the inevitability of a welfare state. Then, at some point, somebody will come along and say "hey this really sucks. I want some control over things again", and then the government collapses and we start again.

You can laugh at Canada's taxes - as I do - but I think the US is heading in the same direction. Unless I'm mistaken taxes are higher now than they were in 1993. Higher then than in 1983, 1973, etc.

And people don't care. If an official says "no new taxes", then he gets a slap on the back. How about a real program that aims at CUTTING taxes. If government continues to demand more money it cannot be working efficiently. In the private sector a business that can't do well either trims fat, goes bankrupt, or jacks up revenues. The gov't can't go bankrupt, and they sure don't like trimming fat, so they just jack up revenue.