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Democrats push for new Internet sales taxes

danarhea

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The halcyon days of tax-free Internet shopping will, if Rep. Bill Delahunt gets his way, soon be coming to an abrupt end.


Delahunt, a Massachusetts Democrat, introduced a bill on Thursday that would rewrite the ground rules for Internet and mail order sales by eliminating the option for many Americans to shop over the Internet without paying state sales taxes.

OK, so the states would like to raise more money by raising taxes. Here is the problem. I purchase tobacco from Illinois. I live in Texas. State taxes for Illinois would be taken to provide services for those who live there. I don't live in Illinois. Therefore, we have a huge problem. Actually, not a problem. Not only are Republicans going to give Delahunt the finger here, but enough Democrats will too.

Say goodbye to your bill, Congressman. It's going nowhere. Moreover, if I lived in your district, I would vote Republican this year, and give you the middle finger as well. Repeat after me - Taxation without representation. Or maybe US law will now allow me to vote in places that tax me. Which district in Illinois is Houston, Texas in now? :mrgreen:

Article is here
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So, your logic is that if you cross state lines, they can't charge you sales tax because you don't vote in that jurisdiction??? I should remember that the next time I buy things in Taxachussets...
 
So, your logic is that if you cross state lines, they can't charge you sales tax because you don't vote in that jurisdiction??? I should remember that the next time I buy things in Taxachussets...

No, I am not crossing state lines at all. I am purchasing on the internet, and Democrats are looking for yet another way to pick my pocket.
 
Isnt there something else similar to this that would give the government the power to shut down the internet in case of an "emergency"?
 
Isnt there something else similar to this that would give the government the power to shut down the internet in case of an "emergency"?

I have heard something about it, but don't know if it is true or not, since I haven't seriously looked into it yet.
 
I purposely buy things online to save money in taxes. Tennessee sales tax is at 9.25%, I think it might be the highest in the country. Buying anything online saves me almost 10%. I'm glad this bill will be shot down. I honestly can't believe this guy would propose this kind of tax. If this hadn't been Massachusetts a bill like that would be political suicide.
 
I purposely buy things online to save money in taxes. Tennessee sales tax is at 9.25%, I think it might be the highest in the country. Buying anything online saves me almost 10%. I'm glad this bill will be shot down. I honestly can't believe this guy would propose this kind of tax. If this hadn't been Massachusetts a bill like that would be political suicide.

9?!!

Damn dude and I thought we were the worst at 8.25%
 
No, I am not crossing state lines at all. I am purchasing on the internet, and Democrats are looking for yet another way to pick my pocket.

where are the other Democrats? I'm not saying all dems will oppose this because surely some will agree but you seem to mislabel this making it out to be a huge liberal movement when in reality you only named one Democrat, the guy who submitted the bill.
 
No, I am not crossing state lines at all. I am purchasing on the internet, and Democrats are looking for yet another way to pick my pocket.

Just going by your logic.

Actually, the Feds would have the authority to do this under the Interstate Commerce Clause of the Constitution...

Though I live overseas, I come from a state with ZERO general sales tax... :)
 
Why shouldn't a state be able to collect sales tax on goods you purchased from in their boundaries? If I drive over to the next state, I'll be charged their sales tax. Just because you were sitting in front of your computer doesn't mean you didn't purchase something from that state.

No, I am not crossing state lines at all. I am purchasing on the internet, and Democrats are looking for yet another way to pick my pocket.

You aren't, but the item you purchased has to cross the border on a truck.
 
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Just treat it the same as we do when ordering from a catalog or by mail as it is essentially the same thing.
 
Why shouldn't a state be able to collect sales tax on goods you purchased from in their boundaries? If I drive over to the next state, I'll be charged their sales tax. Just because you were sitting in front of your computer doesn't mean you didn't purchase something from that state.



You aren't, but the item you purchased has to cross the border on a truck.

At one time I lived in Oregon near the California border. If I purchased something in California, all I had to do was show my Oregon Driver license and I wasn't charged Sales Tax..... it is still the same today.

Just sayin’.
 
At one time I lived in Oregon near the California border. If I purchased something in California, all I had to do was show my Oregon Driver license and I wasn't charged Sales Tax..... it is still the same today.

Just sayin’.

West coast is weird.
 
So once upon a time (before the internet) people ordered things through catalogs. Sears, JCPenny, etc... of which sales tax had to be entered. Now I know this may not work for all the states but after going through a bunch of internet printable order forms - most require a % sales tax to be added. One from Michigan only identified Michigan residents to add sales tax - otherwise, MS, MI, CA and NJ order forms I reviewed required a % sales tax.

How is ordering over the internet any different than ordering through an old time catalog?
 
West coast is weird.

California is weird..... they expected residents to report all purchases in Oregon and pay the Sales Tax when they got home.

Like that ever happened. :roll:
 
At one time I lived in Oregon near the California border. If I purchased something in California, all I had to do was show my Oregon Driver license and I wasn't charged Sales Tax..... it is still the same today.

Just sayin’.

California does that by choice... it is their law... I suppose for CA, it is more important for them to draw you across the border, make purchases in their state and then return than to collect tax on it. The assumption is too that you engage in other business while there -- eating, etc. The same can't be said if you order something via the Internet...

The Federal government has the right to regulate Internet commerce and if they want to pass a law ALLOWING states to collect their sales taxes, I see no Constitutional problem with it...
 
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