Haslam willing to take lead on Internet sales tax

[Guest Overtaker]

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam willing to take lead on Internet sales tax » The Commercial Appeal

He said Tennessee is already losing between $300 million and $500 million a year on untaxed Internet sales --- a growing number since the states and Congress have been unable for more than a decade to agree on a "streamlined sales tax" process enabling online retailers to collect taxes easily for the nation's thousands of state and local taxing jurisdictions.

"It's not going to begin eroding the state's tax base; it already is. Something has to happen nationally. The whole streamlined sales tax is a big deal, and I'm more than willing to play a leadership role," Haslam said. "It has to be addressed on a national level or we're going to keep playing these kinds of move-around games."

[K191145]

Well everybody who voted for that closet liberal will find out just who they voted for, Bredequist the sequal.

Proud voter for Carl (Two Feathers) Whitiker.

[Guest clownsdd]

I would agree with a "internet tax" at a percentage of the purchase, with the tax less administration fees going to the state where the item is shipped. Heck, we've all taken advantage of it. Of course, this would have to be done on a national level. Just doesn't seem right to me for a company like Amazon to take advantage of the situation, which is what they are doing, and actually hurting the local businesses.

[Lumber_Jack]

I would agree with an Internet sales tax. The state is hurting financially and this would go a long way to helping. I would much rather have a consumption tax than a property or income based tax.

[hornett22]

Yeah,we should give them more money to squander. Government has proven themselves very fiscally responsible time and time again.

Seems about as smart as throwing gas on the fires in New Mexico.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Yeah,we should give them more money to squander. Government has proven themselves very fiscally responsible time and time again.

Seems about as smart as throwing gas on the fires in New Mexico.

Ding! Ding! We have a winner. This state may be suffering some financially, but

it is because of an inept government, not unlike our federal government.

There isn't a tax government doesn't like.

[DaveTN]

Just like a Federal Vehicle Code or a Federal Carry Permit; it would require all states to comply. I doubt that will happen.

State tax should be collected on internet sales. Someone is going to pay it; I think it should be the buyers not the home owners.

“Cut Spendingâ€â€¦. Really?? Did you really type that in there?

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Whoa, boys and girls. Why should the state get anything from an interstate sale?

Do you just want to put another group of businesses out of business? And cause more

people to lose their jobs?

[DaveTN]

Whoa, boys and girls. Why should the state get anything from an interstate sale?

Do you just want to put another group of businesses out of business? And cause more

people to lose their jobs?

You are kidding… right?

[Guest 6.8 AR]

No, I 'm not! California found out about extra taxation towards Amazon,

just recently.

[DaveTN]

No, I 'm not! California found out about extra taxation towards Amazon,

just recently.

And??? Amazon will pay the tax in California. They lost the battle in New York and they will lose in CA. Their vow to fight in every state they can fight in might bankrupt them; there will be someone willing to pay the tax standing in line to take Amazons place.

The government will never reduce spending. If sales taxes drop; property and gas taxes will increase. I vote for taxing the internet sales.

[kieefer]

Yeah,we should give them more money to squander. Government has proven themselves very fiscally responsible time and time again.

Seems about as smart as throwing gas on the fires in New Mexico.

+1

More you give them the more they take and waste.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

The government will never reduce spending until you make it, unless like so many,

you become so cynical and believe everything is impossible, DaveTN. Spending is

the whole problem, DaveTN. You must like this income redistribution thing Obama is

escalating. I don't. And since when do you think the government deserves one thin

dime when it can't account for it, or spend it wisely?

If you think taxation is so great, make a contribution to the Treasury. Taxation is nothing

more than confiscation of one's own productivity to allow a government to eventually

swallow all of it. Then you have something you didn't start with.

For someone to argue in favor of another tax, they must have escaped reality, or become

a Democrat. All you do when you add taxation is punish society and kill capitalism. If you

have given up on capitalism, you either don't understand it, or you like socialism. It's one

or the other. There ain't no middle ground.

[DaveTN]

The government will never reduce spending until you make it, unless like so many,

you become so cynical and believe everything is impossible, DaveTN. Spending is

the whole problem, DaveTN. You must like this income redistribution thing Obama is

escalating. I don't. And since when do you think the government deserves one thin

dime when it can't account for it, or spend it wisely?

If you think taxation is so great, make a contribution to the Treasury. Taxation is nothing

more than confiscation of one's own productivity to allow a government to eventually

swallow all of it. Then you have something you didn't start with.

For someone to argue in favor of another tax, they must have escaped reality, or become

a Democrat. All you do when you add taxation is punish society and kill capitalism. If you

have given up on capitalism, you either don't understand it, or you like socialism. It's one

or the other. There ain't no middle ground.

Wow man…. That’s some low life :bs:calling me a Democrat. I’ve seen you post some pretty stupid :bs:but I’ve never called you a Democrat.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Well, why do you like taxes so much. Actually I said "they", but if the shoe fits...

Besides California will lose their battle when they win in court. Their problem is systemic

socialism, the same as our federal government. California is close to failing unless the rest

of the states bail them out. They make the case for stupidity in government just like Greece.

You can call it BS all you want, but you are wrong.

Make the case for the tax and quit crying.

Oh, and when the rest of us states bail them out, what do you think will happen next?

[mav]

The government will never reduce spending. If sales taxes drop; property and gas taxes will increase. I vote for taxing the internet sales.

6.8 AR is correct. An internet tax is not the answer.

If you think the government won't reduce spending, which is the correct thing to do, do you actually think the government will use the new source of revenue to pay it's debt? Hell no they won't. We will be stuck with the same level of debt and fiscal irresponsibility. Only now, we will have a new tax to go along with the fiscal stupidity. This is one of the reasons I do not want a consumption tax unless we repeal the 16th. Paying one of them is bad enough, and I certainly don't want to have to pay both.

Reducing spending is the only answer.

Edited July 8, 2011 by mav

[Raoul]

I voted early. Let's get rid of the state cars and cell phones to start.

[DHF]

Unfortunately this is not a new tax. There has been an "obligation" to pay tax on purchases from out of state (online, catalog, etc) for sometime. I just don't know of anyone who have volunteered to do so. States have been whining about making sellers bear the burden of collecting taxes for states that they do not even reside in (but are selling to) for quite a while now. They would want it automated even if people were sending it in, though. Just as with the Income Tax, the more automatically it happens, the less people are aware of how much they are being taxed.

If you are Amazon, maybe you can absorb the costs (or pass them on) easier but if you have a small family business selling custom gun parts nationally, for example, it can be quite prohibitive/costly to have to keep up with 50 states + our territories' tax structures as well as collect and file everything. It's the overhead of keeping up with all of this that will hurt businesses (especially small businesses).

See below for TN state website info on personal responsibility to pay for online purchases:

Sales and Use Tax Frequently Asked Questions

Consumer Use Tax

[mav]

I remember a thread quite some time ago that broke out in a heated debate between several forum members and a local gun dealer who claimed everyone is a crook who buys guns online because they do not pay state tax on the firearm.

Whether the tax is new, which it is not, is irrelevant since it is not enforced. Enforcement of an existing unenforced tax law in my mind represents a new tax. If that is indeed what Haslam intends, then the arguments against the tax still stands. It will not solve the fiscal problems. It will only add to the burden of taxpayers because the government will not control its spending.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

It probably has something to do with it being unenforceable, to begin with. Just think

of the additional burden placed on everyone in commerce(not government). All it would

do is raise the cost of goods sold. The only benefit would be to a bunch of politicians,

since we would be paying for their future toys.

[K191145]

It seems that the answer to everything is another new tax and it's ironic that our so-called conservative Governor wants to take a national lead on another new tax. Now other states are going to wonder just what kind of RINO clown we elected. Kinda embarrassing.

[Guest mosinon]

The government will never reduce spending until you make it, unless like so many,

you become so cynical and believe everything is impossible, DaveTN. Spending is

the whole problem, DaveTN. You must like this income redistribution thing Obama is

escalating. I don't. And since when do you think the government deserves one thin

dime when it can't account for it, or spend it wisely?

If you think taxation is so great, make a contribution to the Treasury. Taxation is nothing

more than confiscation of one's own productivity to allow a government to eventually

swallow all of it. Then you have something you didn't start with.

For someone to argue in favor of another tax, they must have escaped reality, or become

a Democrat. All you do when you add taxation is punish society and kill capitalism. If you

have given up on capitalism, you either don't understand it, or you like socialism. It's one

or the other. There ain't no middle ground.

There are things we all benefit from, like, I dunno, national defense that taxes pay for. Or maybe interstates. Do taxes really kill capitalism? Do you actually remember the last time you turned down a million dollar prize from McDonalds because you'd have to pay taxes on it?

IS taxation essentially a confiscation of property? Yep. Is it necessary for society? Yep. What you have to consider is what the taxes do. You pay taxes and a small slice goes to welfare. Welfare is a safety net so the poor don't eat you. You remember what happened during the French revolution right? Call it insurance.

The pertinent question, the question that really matters isn't a question of taxes, is what are you willing to pay taxes for. Here's the real difficult part, some of the taxes you pay makes you more money.

Need a semi educated work force? You hire a high school graduate from public schools. Need a really well trained chemist? You hire a PhD from MIT. That guy invents post it notes or something, and bam, huge payback. Google is a good example.

I just can't see things as black and white as you do. I wish I could, it makes thinking easy, but I can't.

[Guest mosinon]

So which program are you guys going to cut:Defense, Medicare or Social Security? cause those are the only three that really matter. It is a tough choice, health care for old people, security or steal money from the people who paid it in. So which one do you choose?

[Guest Overtaker]

So which program are you guys going to cut:Defense, Medicare or Social Security? cause those are the only three that really matter. It is a tough choice, health care for old people, security or steal money from the people who paid it in. So which one do you choose?

Those are federal expenditures. This is a state tax.

[PC7]

What you have to consider is what the taxes do. You pay taxes and a small slice goes to welfare. Welfare is a safety net so the poor don't eat you. You remember what happened during the French revolution right? Call it insurance.

Now that is the funniest thing I’ve heard in a VERY longtime. I think you have Pelosi beat with that one. For the record, the poor won’t be eating me; they may eat you, but I can promise you that they will not be dining on me.

Most people are on welfare/ unemployment/government handout-of-the-week because: they don’t want to work and can get away with it and our society allows it, they use drugs, and/or have children they can’t afford. I believe in government handouts under limited circumstances. Such as, all recipients should be barred from using drugs, to include tobacco. If one has money to spend on tobacco, then they don’t need a handout.

These people that have been on unemployment for like 3 years now should be drafted into the military or they should be forced to do the jobs that all these illegal aliens are doing after we deport them. You know what the most ridiculous part of all this tax talk is? That half of the people in this country don’t even pay federal income tax.

Edited July 8, 2011 by PC7