New York Internet shoppers, take note: in five weeks, sales tax-free shopping will end on many Web sites thanks to rewritten state rules that are trying to force Internet retailers to collect. For years, retailers with "brick and mortar" stores in New York, such as Wal-Mart, have charged sales tax on orders placed through their Web sites. Yet Amazon.com and other e-tailers with no physical stores have not charged the tax, much to the delight of Internet bargain hunters, like online shopper April Cantin. "Coming here, you have to pay a lot of tax, when you pay on line, you pay nothing, just shipping and handling and the item," she says.
However, in the midst of a budget crisis, New York is now telling Amazon and certain other large Internet-only vendors they must collect state and local sales tax -- if they allow sales via "click-throughs" from New York-based Web sites. The new rule is set to go into effect on June 1. The state estimates this new Internet tax will bring in $50 million this year and $75 million next year. But the new rulings aren't sitting well with the Internet giants. Amazon, the largest Internet retailer, is objecting to the decision, saying "this is the wrong time to increase taxes on New Yorkers."
View: Full Story at CBS TV NY
However, in the midst of a budget crisis, New York is now telling Amazon and certain other large Internet-only vendors they must collect state and local sales tax -- if they allow sales via "click-throughs" from New York-based Web sites. The new rule is set to go into effect on June 1. The state estimates this new Internet tax will bring in $50 million this year and $75 million next year. But the new rulings aren't sitting well with the Internet giants. Amazon, the largest Internet retailer, is objecting to the decision, saying "this is the wrong time to increase taxes on New Yorkers."
View: Full Story at CBS TV NY
If everyone who visited these sites in the past, STILL bought from those same sites, then yes it would bring
in the "millions", but, you can bet some will shop elsewhere, which in the end will decrease the money
coming in. Dumba** politicians.
I think online orders should have the same tax as if you bought the item at a store. If sales tax needs to be reduced then it should be across the board.
....
I think online orders should have the same tax as if you bought the item at a store.
And it is fair that a company that isn't in NY and doesn't receive any benefit from NY should pay taxes there? Brick and Mortar stores are tax payers, but also tax beneficiaries - the sales tax that is collected help to fund the benefits they receive through the infrastructure, parking lots, roads, electric, water, police force, fire protection, etc... from that state where they reside.
Why should a company that doesn't benefit from those services have to pay taxes there? What did the state of NY do to earn those taxes? NOTHING! Is that FAIR?
It also violates a very basic principle that this country is founded on - remember that little tea party a while back?
No taxation without representation!
hold on. hold on.
I pay taxes for school, roads, defenses, medical, food stamp but cut them off after certain month and get them job.
but not for some politician sit on his fat ass and collect money from corp and taxes.
waste money on bullsh!t wars.
I don't mine paying taxes(not arm and leg "pay checks"
Most stuff from Amazon and Buy.com ship free
I've bought more from Amazon.com than I have from any consumer store in the past 5 years. It's cheaper. Heck, if I'd have bought my MBP at a store where I live it would have cost me well over $2200. I bought it from Amazon.com for less, with a rebate. We have 10% sales tax, it's a rip off.
I think it's just a matter of time before all internet sites (or most of it) start charging tax. Maybe not in the next few years, but one day I think there will be a tax on the majority of things.
If you sell good from Jersey and they are £17.50 or less you pay zero v.a.t. that is why amazon.co.uk sell their music and videos via Jersey.
Why should retailers have to collect v.a.t. anyway.
v.a.t. should be scrapped everywhere, then we would buy more and the lousy governments of the world would
start serving the people rather than the other way around.
I don't mind taxes on internet purchases, but I do mind the increased cost it would add to online businesses (having to track and remit taxes to 50 seperate state tax agencies in the US on the state level and even more on the local level).
But I also think the government needs to remove taxes on income and only tax on purchases.
Inside europe, if you're buying from an europe-based amazon website, you pay the taxes of your local country. If you order vista "alternate media" (64-bit dvd or the 32-bit cds), microsoft will charge you 10 euro plus local taxes in your country...
I always thought that in the US it would be similar but depending on the State
Germany being the greatest at 19%
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