Stop bitching about online retailers charging sales tax

June 08, 2021, 07:24 PM

a1abdj

quote:
In some states, NO Sales Tax is collected, EVER!

Each state tends to do it a bit differently. Some have no sales tax and higher property taxes. Some have no property taxes and higher sales taxes. 6 of one, half dozen of another. They have to get their money from somewhere.

quote:
Or crazy high rates to register a vehicle...

In Missouri registration is reasonable, but you pay sales tax on the car every single time it is purchased. If a car was sold new in Missouri and has had 4 owners, then the sale has been taxed 4 times.

quote:
a1abdj, I’m still not sure why you think that businesses local to you don’t do online sales (perhaps ignoring the tax collection thing too).

I don't think that, and have never said that. Furthermore, it's not the businesses that are "ignoring the tax collection thing", that would be the consumers.

quote:
It’s funny that you believe all businesses that have a store front won’t sell online as well

What's funny is people inventing what it is I believe, think, or have said. Take this for example:

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and that we’re all morons for not paying our taxes

I never said you were a moron, but I'm glad you admit you're not paying your taxes. That makes you a criminal, and I have said that.

So if you are legally required to pay taxes, then pay them. It's a simple concept. I'll even help you out:

https://www.tax.virginia.gov/consumers-use-tax

quote:
When do you owe consumer's use?
Generally, you owe consumer's use tax on tangible items you rent, lease, or buy that you didn’t have to pay sales tax for when you purchased them. Common examples:

You bought something on the internet or through a mail order catalog and didn’t pay Virginia sales tax. Most online retailers collect Virginia sales tax, but if you order from a company that doesn’t, you need to pay use tax.
You bought something in another state that doesn’t charge sales tax, but brought the items back to Virginia to use here.

And since you've admitted to not paying, you may want to check out this portion:

https://www.tax.virginia.gov/penalties-and-interest

quote:
In addition to the penalties discussed above, Virginia law also provides for civil and criminal penalties in cases involving fraud and failure to file. The civil penalty for filing a false or fraudulent return, or for failing or refusing to file a return with intent to evade the tax is 100% of the correct tax. In addition, criminal penalties of imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to $2,500, or both, can apply in cases of fraud and failure to file.

June 08, 2021, 09:55 PM

mutedblade

quote:
Originally posted by a1abdj:
I never said you were a moron, but I'm glad you admit you're not paying your taxes. That makes you a criminal, and I have said that.

So if you are legally required to pay taxes, then pay them. It's a simple concept.

Do you realize how much money, time, and effort it would take to try, convict, and collect for online transactions that don't get taxed? Not just here in VA, but everywhere in the country? There's a reason states are only going after big corporations....there's a lot fewer to deal with. If you employed an army of tax auditors to reconcile online transactions vs tax remittances, you'd never >NEVER< be able to collect more than you put in, penalties included. It's an effort in futility for the government and they know it. I'd bet you that various levels of government throughout the country have fallen short in following their own tax laws, but sure, keep harping on people not paying a use tax if it makes you feel better.

June 09, 2021, 09:08 AM

Lt CHEG

I’m pretty much in complete agreement with a1abdj on this one, but for some slightly different reasons. I like sales taxes because everyone is supposed to pay them regardless of income. Sales taxes generally go to benefit the things that payers of those sales taxes directly benefit from such as police, fire and public works services. Even if the taxes I pay from an online sale go to provide those services in another locality, they still largely fund the services that everyone benefits from. Income based taxes are used for so many things that I find absolutely abhorrent, such as wealth redistribution for example. Many of the things that income taxes pay for are things that only a few benefit from such as the welfare recipients who get $10,000 income tax “refunds” for doing nothing but popping out kids.

I’m not trying to turn this into a debate on the fairness of sales tax vs. income tax as honestly I think we need some of both. Admittedly, I was largely in favor of the idea of Herman Cain’s 9,9,9 plan even if the specifics needed some work. But having said that, part of why I am in favor of sales taxes being collected from online sales is precisely because it makes sure that everyone has some skin in the game. As e-commerce is becoming the dominant source of commerce for many things, it is important to make sure that those who pay no other taxes such as income taxes or property taxes cannot easily, if not legally, avoid putting their skin in the game.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”