
States Plot New Path to Tax Online Retailers - Shakescode
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124657597066189059.html
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dan_the_welder
I sell and ship all over the world and collect sales tax for Florida sales.

I use my county's tax rate which is State of Florida's tax rate plus my County
tax rate.

There are 67 counties each with different tax rates. I assume other states are
similar. With the exception of the 20 referenced here:

"An effort by some states and retailers to streamline sales tax laws
eventually could be used to force e-commerce companies to collect tax in 20
states. Congress has considered bills that would allow states that meet
certain uniformity and simplification standards in their tax systems to demand
that out-of-state sellers collect sales taxes."

However even if all 50 states were to 'Streamline' one would be expected
register with 49 State Tax Authorities and to fill out 50 sales tax filings
each month.

After all even if I don't have a single sale I am required to file a report
each month.

So then will the paperwork burden be transferred to me personally, or will my
State do the work by providing me with a new huge monthly filing form in which
I will be required to itemize sales to each state and tax collected for each?
How much will this expanded paperwork and bureaucracy cost?

I believe that this all falls under barriers to interstate trade and is an
incredibly shortsighted view for the Sates to take.

If I am selling goods to another state I am bringing money into my state which
I am then spending here. Which helps my state's 'balance of trade'.

The real question which I think is not being asked is this. Is the economic
benefit of barrier free interstate trade to an individual state greater than
the sales tax revenue 'lost' to mail order sales.

Internet sales are mail order sales and I think the laws pertaining to them
are clear and firmly established.

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HoneyAndSilicon
Yes, the states are trying to suck every tax dollar they can in this recessed
economy. ...working exactly against the federal strategy of keeping money _in_
the economy.

I don't know if there's any new info in this article ... because every browser
I've tried cuts off the text in middle of third paragraph (even in "printer
friendly" version). As usual at wsj.com the readers comments are worth a
gander, however.

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ensignavenger
Its cutting you off because you have to be a subscriber to view the whole
article. The headline should be edited to reflect that.

~~~
ensignavenger
After refreshing the page, I was able to view the entire article. Didn't see
much new, though.

Don't know if the page refresh thing is a bug, or intentional.

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req2
Uninformed musing follows:

Sales are shifting to the internet, and taxes are failing to follow...

Will the internet motivate states to shift the burden once carried by
regressive sales tax structures to progressive income tax structures?

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DanielBMarkham
The tighter you squeeze your fist, the more that slips through your grip.

~~~
ScottWhigham
Wait - what does that mean related to this scenario? I fail to make the
connection.

~~~
req2
States try to get extra sales tax. Amazon rescinds affiliate program in e.g.,
Rhode Island. Rhode Island ex-affiliates of Amazon suffer and lose revenue in
addition to that they previously gained from Amazon, decreasing the overall
tax the state previously received.

