Internet Sales Tax

[RidgeRunner]

I am correct, according to the CPA and the Florida Department of Revenue. It is no more voluntary than volunteering to pay Federal Income Tax.

Case in point: Ordering cheap leather gloves and forklift seats online from an out of state seller. The FDOR auditor caught it and said we had to pay the use tax plus the penalty and our CPA agreed with him so IDK?? Maybe Florida is different?
Or maybe a business is different than personal. If it were voluntary then why would the State Have a week of Amnesty and further why would there be a penalty??

I am blonde but I catch on pretty fast. Tax & penalty!!

[Destroyer]

Ok, I just pushed the "Ridgerunner is right" button. The seller is not required to charge the sales tax, but the purchaser, legally, is required to pay a "use" tax if the seller does not charge the sales tax. What a crock of BS.

[tartuffe]

Glad this thread is getting more on track with correct information. Only thing I havent seen mentioned is these mom and pop stores will not be affected unless they do more than a million in business annually. Ever since I got on my IRS payment plan I pay close attention to tax laws.

Lets face it, brick and mortar are good for everyone, from those that design, build, and staff to those that shop there. I see no reason internet businesses should be given a 6.75% advantage (NC sales tax). Taxes suck, I hate em and my standard of living would be far greater if they were lower but they are a necessary evil and all businesses should be treated equally.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by tartuffe

Glad this thread is getting more on track with correct information. Only thing I havent seen mentioned is these mom and pop stores will not be affected unless they do more than a million in business annually. Ever since I got on my IRS payment plan I pay close attention to tax laws.

Lets face it, brick and mortar are good for everyone, from those that design, build, and staff to those that shop there. I see no reason internet businesses should be given a 6.75% advantage (NC sales tax). Taxes suck, I hate em and my standard of living would be far greater if they were lower but they are a necessary evil and all businesses should be treated equally.

Perhaps, but it's going to make a whole lot of difference in how I personally shop. I buy a lot of items on eBay, and if they (the government) starts requiring me to pay sales taxes on those items I'm not gonna be happy.... Sorry, but I'm not concerned with one business being treated more fairly than another.... When you have hundred million dollar brick and mortar stores crying about being treated fairly you know that something is not kosher. Oh Boo-Hoo... BS!! Their aim is to eliminate competition, pure and simple, and they are using the US Government to help accomplish their goal. The ultimate loser is going to be the consumer, and I'll be damned if I like it or really care that one business has to pay tax and the next one doesn't. No one ever said that capitalism was fair.

[lathehand]

Soon it's going to be anyone exchanging cash for anything will be taxed.I mean when you buy a used car for example weather from a dealer or private you pay sales tax.How many time does the goverment need to collect tax on the same car. Could you just emagin buying a lawn mower from your neighbor and paying sales tax.Well if they have there that kind of nonsense will happen.It's not about fairness to small . It's about the greed of this goverment

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by lathehand

Soon it's going to be anyone exchanging cash for anything will be taxed.I mean when you buy a used car for example weather from a dealer or private you pay sales tax.How many time does the goverment need to collect tax on the same car. Could you just emagin buying a lawn mower from your neighbor and paying sales tax.Well if they have their way that kind of nonsense will happen.It's not about fairness to small . It's about the greed of this goverment

Exactly

[tartuffe]

Cannot agree with you Destroyer. Remember our fearless leader picking favorites? Goverment should not be allowed to look the other way while internet businesses crush it in profits leaving the brick and mortars to wother away leaving empty shells across our nation.

I've bought over $3000 worth of boating supplies over the last year via the web and I love saving money but to say the government should allow the current structure to continue so I can pay less is irresponsible to the larger picture.

[tartuffe]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

When you have hundred million dollar brick and mortar stores crying about being treated fairly you know that something is not kosher. Their aim is to eliminate competition, pure and simple, and they are using the US Government to help accomplish their goal.

Brick and mortar invest in communities, employ personnel, pay utilities and local taxes. B&M are the inneficient economic pumps that help communities spend the same money multiple times. I say that has earned them the right to a level playing field. How about the local mom and pop tackle store? They too don't deserve a level playing field either?

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by tartuffe

Brick and mortar invest in communities, employ personnel, pay utilities and local taxes. B&M are the inneficient economic pumps that help communities spend the same money multiple times. I say that has earned them the right to a level playing field. How about the local mom and pop tackle store? They too don't deserve a level playing field either?

Well, since ALL big brick and mortar stores have their own internet sales departments I'm sorry but your arguement doesn't hold water. They can (and do) make just as much (or more) money on the internet as the little guy because they have the name and so people go to their sites more often.

And yes, B&M's are large economic pumps...but they are also large 500 lb gorillas that come into a community with drastically low prices that the local guys can't compete with, (Look at the business model for Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, etc.. it's all the same...they'll deliberately lose money for a year or two until the competition is gone) drive them out of business and then they have an economic stranglehold on that community. Then they start raising their prices and cheapening their merchandise. After all, who's there to compete with them? Don't you see??? They are not interested in a level playing field...they want the whole playing field. They want it ALL!! You think that's fair?

Here's an idea...how about we make it so that they cannot do that? Wouldn't that level the playing field? Lets pass laws that large B&M's cannot sell things at lower prices and drive out competition. Sounds kind of silly right? Yet that's exactly what they are trying to do to the little guys right now with this tax BS.... drive them out of business so they can have the whole internet playing field to themselves. And the government doesn't care... they're gonna get more revenue...so they're happy... Like I said, it's the consumer that ultimately is gonna lose out, which is why we need to fight this thing.

[tartuffe]

People go in a B&M, hold the item, inspect it, compare it to the other manufacturers of the same product sold in store and then buy it on Amazon. If the big guys have such an advantage why is Best Buy on the verge of bankruptcy? Why is Circuit City out of business? Who knocked Boater's World out of business? Why does West Marine not price match any longer? For God's sake Sear's is finally off the edge of bankruptcy after teetering on the brink for years. People shopping for a product of any value start with a ggole search of said product followed by "for sale." The immediately get 5 results from various stores. How can B&M's compete when they have the additional overhead of all their stores PLUS the local tax rate up to 13% in some areas?

Almost every place I buy from gives me an instant shipping quote based on my zip. Technology has made it very simple to do the same for sales taxes to the destination.

My argument is sound, backed up by facts, therefore holds water.

Remind me again why internet businesses having to account for use tax rather than the consumer is so terrible? Also if you hate use tax so much that you are willing to risk imprisonment then move to a state without it and problem solved. FYI, Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Delaware are your choices.

Last thing, move to one of those states, set up 100 different business websites and sell to consumers by buying and shipping to them while staying under the $1 million revenue threshold and assist others in evading taxes. Now THAT is fighting the fight.