NY Gov. Spitzer's plan for online sales tax

[DeadlyFire]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jEUObr3bIl55OOHpDgcaY7O8ApJwD8UOVDNO0



ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Amazon.com is fighting Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to require online companies to collect sales tax from shoppers in New York, whether the companies are in New York or not.

Several other money-strapped states have mulled going after the taxes.

Spitzer's proposed budget would require Internet giants like Amazon to collect tax on an estimated $47 million in sales to New Yorkers, who are currently required by an honor system to report how much they spend online on their tax returns.

Amazon spokesman Paul Misener says the governor's plan would be a radical departure from anything currently being done in the U.S.

He says other states — including California, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas — have considered similar plans, but abandoned the idea.




I caught this in a local paper this week and was slightly surprised at this; This is coming from a guy who is trying to turn over a new leaf with voters and opens with this plan :rolleyes: Good luck :ROTF:

[Movieman]

That's the same as saying if a NY resident drove to my state of New Hampshire where there is no sales tax that the stores here would have to charge NY's tax rate and then send to NY?
Is this guy braindead?:p:

[hecktic]

I think the guy is not braindead... rather brainless ;) lol

[aMp]

That's the same as saying if a NY resident drove to my state of New Hampshire where there is no sales tax that the stores here would have to charge NY's tax rate and then send to NY?

Legally, you're already supposed to do that (http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2004/704/essentials/p38.htm).

[mnemonix]

That's the same as saying if a NY resident drove to my state of New Hampshire where there is no sales tax that the stores here would have to charge NY's tax rate and then send to NY?
Is this guy braindead?:p:

While taxes seems arbitrary, they are typically based on a system that reflects your ability to pay, be it your income, the size of your house, what you spend etc etc. If your local government raises taxes to pay for local amenities, policing, public transport, refuse collection, education it seems to make sense to raise it from it's local inhabitants. If you spend money, it doesn't matter where you spend it, you are participating in a system used to determine your financial contribution to your local government. It makes perfect sense. Just as we in the UK pay tax to our Government when we buy and import something from abroad.

[FischOderAal]

I think the guy is not braindead... rather brainless ;) lol

braindead, good movie :D :ROTF:

[Drunner611]

Isn't one of the ideas behind online shopping is that you don't have to pay taxes? I know if I have to pay taxes online, I will shop far less than I do now.

Seems like a good way to kill internet shopping. :down: