] Internet Sales Taxes

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Jim Warren <jwarren () well com>
> Date: May 21, 2008 4:39:17 PM EDT
> To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
> Cc: Robert Atkinson <rca53 () columbia edu>
> Subject: Re: [IP] Internet Sales Taxes

> > > A call in Wall St. Journal for imposing sales taxes on internet  
> > > commerce:
> > >
> > > http://online.wsj.com/article/portals.html
> > >
> > > Excerpts:
> > >
> > > Real World Needs 'Net' Taxes
> > > May 21, 2008; Page B9
> > >
> > > Do you think that billionaire Internet moguls should continue to
> > > benefit from a tax loophole that hurts parks and schools, and makes
> > > it harder for your neighborhood bookstore to keep open for business?
> > > ...
>
> Oh, come now!
>
> For starters, there are tens of thousands of endlessly changing
> sales-tax rules and rates, determined by thousands of city, county
> and state taxing authorities, great and small.  Can you imagine the
> nightmare trying to keep track of how much to collect on what from
> whom to pay when to which?
>
> Additionally, half a dozen states impose NO sales taxes - Alaska,
> Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon.  They recognize that
> sales taxes are one of the MOST REGRESSIVE - imposing the greatest
> tax burden on those who earn the least, who can least-afford to pay,
> but who must nonetheless buy goods and services.
>
> (For instance, Washington State has some of the highest taxes on
> sales and services.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington says,
> "The state of Washington has the most regressive tax structure in the
> U.S. It is one of only seven states that does not levy a personal
> income tax. The wealthiest one percent of Washington taxpayers pay
> 3.2% of their income in taxes. The poorest fifth of Washington
> taxpayers pay 17.6% of their income in taxes. The state also does not
> collect a corporate income tax.")
>
> However, the WALL STREET JOURNAL is the newspaper of the wealthy.
> Thus, it's unsurprising that it would advocate regressive taxes.
> After all, SOMEone has to pay for the corporate welfare that
> so-greatly benefits the moguls at the top.
>
> --jim



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