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  • #16
    Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

    Originally posted by Fritz View Post
    Just curious does anyone currently, voluntarily, pay the state tax on your internet purchases like they say you should? Really?
    .
    In some cases, out of State vendors add California sales tax and some don't. In the case of those who don't add sales tax, I am a slacker and don't voultarily pay it, which over a year amounts to about $20. If they want to make it a law that everyone charges sales tax, it is okay with me. It doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

    Originally posted by tutusue View Post
    I wasn't aware of this so, no, I don't currently pay that tax voluntarily. Even if I was aware of it, web site check-outs calculate automatically. How would I or anyone else voluntarily pay the tax ..........
    Can't say for sure about HI, but in CA there is a place to add Internet sales on your personal State tax return. You then calculate the rate on unpaid taxes.

    I fortunately received a State tax refund this year because I overpaid taxes. Had I calculated the Internet taxes of about $20, I would have received a $20 larger refund. So it turns out to be a wash.

    Originally posted by escondido100 View Post
    The states law on tax for internet purchases wont hold up in federal court and they know it... they are trying to slip this thru hoping no one will fight it. the supreme court has said that unless a company has a physical presence in that state they need not collect and pay sales tax to that state. individual state are trying to create a compact that would allow for tax collection but vendors have threatened to exclude those states for their sales, citing the supreme court decision. amazon has left some markets and returned after the states have backed down....
    I don't believe this statement is true in it's entirety, but arguing about it on HT is not going to resolve anything. For example, some vendors calculate State sales taxes (like CA) separate from those States who don't require it. It will be resolved through legislation, one way or the other.

    I support State sales taxes on all Internet sales. I like driving on roads that are in good repair, I would use mass transit (rail) if available, and I believe that the world's best education is more important than saving a few bucks on an Internet purchase.
    Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

    People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

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    • #17
      Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

      Originally posted by Leo Lakio View Post
      How does that book or spark plug reach your mailbox? Does it travel to your home over any roads? Who maintains those roads?

      Who runs the school systems that teach you how to read, so that you are inclined to order a book from an online retailer?

      Who pays for a system of consumer protection, in case you find a problem with that spark plug?

      Who provides protection and security for the transport of those goods from one state to another?

      An excellent discussion of these points can be found here.
      A little narrow-minded for my taste. How about if I (in Hawaii) order a movie download from a California company for my friend in Texas? Do I pay sales tax for each state? Do I pay only the Texas state sales tax or only the Hawaii state general excise tax (we have no sales tax)? How about any applicable city or county taxes? No, that road leads to madness...
      May I always be found beneath your contempt.

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      • #18
        Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

        Originally posted by salmoned View Post
        How about if I (in Hawaii) order a movie download from a California company for my friend in Texas? Do I pay sales tax for each state? Do I pay only the Texas state sales tax or only the Hawaii state general excise tax (we have no sales tax)?...
        You are making this way too complicated. If you buy a birthday present at a retail store in Hawaii and send it to a friend in Texas, where do you pay the sales tax?
        Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

        People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

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        • #19
          Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

          I pay fees to register my car and I pay taxes when I buy gasoline. The delivery company pays for licenses for their trucks and they pay taxes to use the road for their business as well as tax when they buy gasoline. You are overreaching when you say need this sales tax is needed to maintain roads and schools.


          I pay real estate tax to support the schools. Actually my parents taught me to read before I even went to school. In an ideal world all parents would do the same.

          These blood-sucking politicians can't rest if they aren't taxing everything. Swimming licenses! There's a great idea! Because who doesn't want nice beaches?

          Perhaps we should pay air tax because we breathe the state's air.

          Isaac Choy, he has a brand new tax for us.
          You can apply any terms to any situation to suit your perspective.

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          • #20
            Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

            Originally posted by matapule View Post
            You are making this way too complicated. If you buy a birthday present at a retail store in Hawaii and send it to a friend in Texas, where do you pay the sales tax?
            Apparently, you fail to see what I'm getting at. If the state of Hawaii (and the city and County of Honolulu) taxes my order for online merchandise regardless of where it is routed, I'll just order it from another state that won't tax the order [and have it routed to my home] - as will most other savvy buyers.

            What I'm saying is that the situation IS way too complicated and perhaps you haven't considered all the ramifications.
            Last edited by salmoned; April 16, 2011, 10:20 PM.
            May I always be found beneath your contempt.

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            • #21
              Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

              Originally posted by salmoned View Post
              Apparently, you fail to see what I'm getting at..
              Yes, you can have a friend in a non-Internet tax State order the item for you and have it sent to their residence. They can then send it to you. You will then pay postage twice which is going to be more than just paying the tax in HI.

              With most States facing fiscal challenges, it is my opinion that all States are going to start charging sales taxes for Internet purchases before long.
              Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

              People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

                Swimming licenses...some eastern states have beach licenses you have to buy to go on their putrid stinking polluted pathetic beaches, what a con, I can't believe people put up with that. But hey, some bleeding heart socialist liberals made beaches public around the turn of the last century--try that today and see how far you'd get. Why should taxpayers foot the bill for a bunch of lazy slobs who want to relax on the taxpayers money on some beach instead of doing something productive like guarding prisoners?

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                • #23
                  Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

                  Part of what you pay taxes for is the upkeep of those socialist beaches we all hate so much. Some honest Communist Chinese corporation could make a lot of money running those beaches. We all know private industry always runs everything better and cheaper than socialist government, right? So lets sell the publicly owned socialist beaches to Communist Chinese corporations, they will run them better and cheaper anyway, and then only the lazy bums who want to waste their time lounging on some beach will have to pay to do so, it won't be a burden on the taxpayers any more. We can use the money we get from selling the beaches to build even more prisons. Its perfect. I don't see any problems with it at all, do you?

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                  • #24
                    Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

                    Originally posted by matapule View Post
                    Yes, you can have a friend in a non-Internet tax State order the item for you and have it sent to their residence. They can then send it to you. You will then pay postage twice which is going to be more than just paying the tax in HI.

                    With most States facing fiscal challenges, it is my opinion that all States are going to start charging sales taxes for Internet purchases before long.
                    Wrong again, on both counts.
                    May I always be found beneath your contempt.

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                    • #25
                      Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

                      One advantage to internet sales tax would be that it might help to take some of the pressure off local stores, it might help increase their sales, and their owners and workers paying taxes locally would help your local area to fix its roads, educate the kids, etc. There isn't much advantage in losing local stores, putting people on unemployment or welfare.

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                      • #26
                        Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

                        IIRC, all Hawaii residents that import goods/services into this state are already subject to a use tax equivalent to the general excise tax. This law will allow the state to get the out of state companies to either: 1) collect the taxes for the state (as in state companies are required); or give certain sales information to the state, so the state can collect the taxes themselves.

                        So the taxes are in essence already owed, and should be self reported by residents. The State just does not have an easy way now to monitor compliance.

                        More info on this here and here.
                        Last edited by Pretender; April 28, 2011, 04:08 PM. Reason: clarity

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                        • #27
                          Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

                          i dont like the idea of paying taxes on internet sales. i buy alot of things online and i have had a business doing online sales (selling aloha shirts online) and a pc repair shop, so i know a little about taxes.
                          did you all know as a business owner you pay GET on the GET you collect? no one else does this in the other states.

                          id be fine paying taxes if you could say the money always went to useful things. im a little ignorant on how the money is spent (and on politics in general, so sue me if im wrong), but when politicians give themselves a raise every year i get a little pissy.
                          Aquaponics in Paradise !

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                          • #28
                            Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

                            Originally posted by Hellbent View Post
                            [...]
                            did you all know as a business owner you pay GET on the GET you collect? no one else does this in the other states.[...]
                            Yes...hence, 4.712% vs 4.5% to the "purchaser"! IIRC, Hawaii is also the only state that imposes a GET in lieu of a sales tax. Even tho' our tax rate is lower than other states, we tax...everything! Except prescription drugs, I think. And our GET is assessed at every level of production albeit at different rates.

                            In my industry it was very confusing for mainland companies on location in Hawaii to understand paying taxes on the rates for services by independent contractors. Since they didn't understand the difference between GE and sales taxes I used to have an explanation of the Hawaii GET that I included with my estimates. A couple of those companies that filmed in Hawaii more than once refused to pay it to us. I kept a list of those companies and raised my rate by 5% to compensate!!!

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                            • #29
                              Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

                              A GET on almost everything, as in Hawaii, is a very regressive tax, hurting lower income people more than the wealthy. In California we have around 8-9% sales tax, but fortunately it is mostly for retail sales only. And in Baja California we have an 11% GET which the wealthy Mexicans rarely pay by way of payoffs to croanies at a much lower rate.

                              Yes, it would be wonderful if matapules had the final say on how tax revenues would be spent.
                              Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

                              People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Sales Tax on Internet Purchases

                                You know, I've never really had any beef with paying taxes, but I've always felt that our annual tax returns should come with a survey form included on which we can indicate how we would like -our- tax dollars spent.

                                Wanna support schools? Fill in the bubble for education.
                                Military? Select National Defense.
                                Got lots of pot-holes that need filling? Send your tax dollars toward infrastructure.

                                Etc.

                                There is enough technology out there that this could be done easily enough; but those who spend our money would never give up the freedom to spend it in a manner they've decided is our best in our interest.
                                Grab some goggles and answer to nobody.

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