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What a crock."Did you buy anything through the Internet last year without paying sales tax at the time? If you did, state tax collectors warn that you'd better say so by April 17 and write a check—or else.""Online purchases from sites like Amazon.com and eBay may seem to arrive in a state of untaxed bliss. But the law actually requires shoppers to pay their own state's sales tax rate—the concept is called a 'use tax'—and voluntarily cough up the exact amount owed each year at tax time."
"Tax bureaucrats for years have lamented the difficulty of collecting use taxes on catalog and mail order sales. Now, with online shopping growing rapidly and nearing $100 billion a year in consumer sales, tax collectors are adopting more aggressive tactics."
"New York state has added a line to income tax returns requiring all residents to calculate how much they should pay on Internet, mail order or out-of-state purchases. The threat is explicit: Anyone who creatively underestimates will face stiff penalties if an audit occurs."
If Amazon.com, et al., start charging sales tax, I won't be thrilled, but it won't stop me from buying from stores on the net. Why isn't that being done? Expecting folks to tax themselves is asinine.
Funky Dung
Comments 4
Just another increased cost of compliance with the code that may (one hopes!) eventually lead to a taxpayer revolt.
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Posted 19 Apr 2006 at 2:49 pm ¶For that matter, why do we file income taxes. Why don't they just send us an invoice and say "if there are changes that need to be made, return this form marked up accordingly"
The phone company doesn't say "track how much you talked and calculate how much you owe us, and then we'll double check and fine you if you make a mistake" And really, I can understand where the number at the bottom of the phone bill comes from much better than I can understand where the final income tax comes from.
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Posted 19 Apr 2006 at 3:07 pm ¶Taxpayer revolt! sign me up!
I saw the head of the House budget committee giving John Snow the Treasury head a hard time about how many people fill out their tax forms incorrectly. What an *$%&@!. If he wants people to make less mistakes, simplify the tax code. John Snow can't do anything about it.
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Posted 19 Apr 2006 at 8:33 pm ¶Eric,
This wasn't on the PA forms, was it? Well, I hope it wasn't…
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Posted 21 Apr 2006 at 1:08 am ¶Post a Comment