Wierd taxes - barter or cash?

[logicalconfusion]

Now that we're all guna have to pay on eBay and Amazon, what's next?

[Pwnd2Pwnr]

I have no clue what you just said... Barter for auctioning on Ebay? Shopping @ amazon in the Amazon?

[digip]

I've never seen taxes on Amazon, but each state in the US has its own laws on internet commerce. Only thing I ever get charged for is shipping. Some mom and pop shops charge tax though and some items at some places do depending on where they operate from, but I don't think I've ever been charged sales tax on amazon, and I just ordered a couple of things on there this week.

[logicalconfusion]

@Pwnd2Pwnr Lol you guys have been online too long. Didn't you hear that the senate decided to charge taxes on internet purchases. So everyone's guna have to pay s/h+tax....whats the solution?!

[digip]

Thats been up and down in congress for years. I think its mainly a state by state thing and where the stores are located. They've always said they were going to "tax" email as well, which really, can you imagine that getting passed? Good luck...won't need to worry about Anonymous attacks, you'd have public revolt over taxing everything on the internet.

[logicalconfusion]

@digip I know but this time it seems serious according to ebay's CEO. Take a look

Dear XXX,

Congress is considering online sales tax legislation that is wrongheaded and unfair, and I am writing to ask for your help in telling Congress "No!" to new sales taxes and burdens for small businesses.

Whether you're a consumer who loves the incredible selection and value that small businesses provide online, or a small-business seller who relies on the Internet for your livelihood, this legislation potentially affects you. For consumers, it means more money out of your pocket when you shop online from your favorite seller or small business shop owner. For small business sellers, it means you would be required to collect sales taxes nationwide from the more than 9,600 tax jurisdictions across the U.S. You also would face the prospect of being audited by out-of-state tax collectors. That's just wrong, and an unnecessary burden on you.

Big national retailers are aggressively lobbying Congress to pass online sales tax legislation to "level the playing field" with Amazon. And, as they compete with big retail, Amazon is advocating for this legislation too, while at the same time they are seeking local tax exemptions across the country to build warehouses. This is a "big retail battle" in which small businesses and consumers have a lot to lose. But eBay is fighting, as we have for more than 15 years, to protect small online businesses and sellers and ensure healthy competition, value, and selection that benefit consumers online.

The solution is simple: if Congress passes online sales tax legislation, we believe small businesses with less than 50 employees or less than $10 million in annual out-of-state sales should be exempt from the burden of collecting sales taxes nationwide. To put that in perspective, Amazon does more than $10 million in sales every 90 minutes. So we believe this is a reasonable exemption to protect small online businesses. That's what we're fighting for, and what big companies such as Amazon are fighting against.

I hope you agree that imposing unnecessary tax burdens on small online businesses is a bad idea. Join us in letting your Members of Congress know they should protect small online businesses, not potentially put them out of business. Click here to make your voice heard. Together, I believe our voices can make a difference.

Sincerely,


John Donahoe
President and CEO
eBay Inc.

[digip]

#1 - eBay, is by and large NOT a small business. Someone like me, is.

#2 - eBay, Amazon, and PayPal, are 3 of the most profitable companies on the planet and richest. If anything, THEY don't want to end up owing the government more money, or give up a slice of their pie.

#3 - When you go to a store to buy something, you pay sales tax. Online, they don't always charge sales tax, but some states actually do(can't remember which ones, but there are only a handful that already do), Its when they want to start taxing things like general use, and for things like email, that I get roweled up. Rumors like that have been around for years, and they come and go. More important legislation to shoot down right now, would be things like CISPPA and all the wire tapping they want to throw on ISP's, storage requirement for messages, and right to read anyones emails stored longer than 180 days, etc. Sales tax on a purchase, is like a mosquito in the ear. Annoying, but a far cry from the shit that we should really be worried about when it comes to the US government and what they are about to do to users, and privacy rights.

Congress, and our government as a whole right now, has not only FAILED to uphold the constitution, people like eBay, would be protected, and if anything, gain profits from legislation passed by congress. I've always considered eBay one of the big evils when it comes to e-commerce sites to begin with. Like PayPal(a necessary one since its how I do most of my billing, they already take 2.9% + 30 cents on anything under $1,000 I make, and the costs go up on sales OVER $1,000, so all these companies are raking in massive profits). They don't want to have to end up filing more taxes at the end of the year, and losing profits. They aren't concerned for the little guy, they are concerned for their own bank accounts. As a small business owner, if I could charge sales tax on my monthly invoices, and fees that PayPal takes from me, I would, so I don't lose the money they take off the top, but I don't. There are plenty of bigger, scarier bills sitting on the hill waiting to be passed, and sales tax on purchases at online stores, should be the least of our worries right now. Taking back our country, and getting back to fiscal responsibility, creating jobs, and stopping all the laws that take away our basic civil rights, privacy, those should be things WE THE PEOPLE should be concerned with. Not what the next big rich company wants you to think they are doing to save you and me from the big bad tax man.

If legislation happens that taxes online shopping, I hope they also close the loop holes that lets big companies like GE not get away with paying any taxes. Yeah, few years ago, they filed and owed 0, zip, nadda. The paperwork they files, was something like 50,000 sheets of paper had it been printed and filed, but was done electronically. Big companies always pay less than the middle and lower classes, so until everyone is on equal footing, sales tax on purchases is the least of my personal worries. If it keeps you up at night, you might be missing all the other shady, and shitty things the US government is doing behind closed doors. Once the greatest nation on Earth, I consider us a bankrupt, and corrupt nation as bad as any other country and nation out there(as a government, not people) and am surprised at the American peoples ability to not revolt in the ways we see happening around the world. We've gone around encouraging things like the Arab Spring, fighting for human rights in Syria, Iran, North Korea, etc, and right here at home, we can't even feed our own people, clean our own air and water, or put people to work, house them, or make a decent wage.

eBay is worried about their pockets, the extra paperwork and laws they'd have to follow like all other businesses already do, and not worried about the pockets of yours and mine.

https://twitter.com/ConanOBrien/status/332314634180755458

Edited May 9, 2013 by digip

[logicalconfusion]

@Digip I am really surprised that you’re not running for governor! The email was a

. eBay knowingly decided to mass e-mail all their customers right around tax season just so they can persuade everyone spend their returns online! I actually received this on 4/1/2013. So, it appears to a publicity stint spear headed by the media.

America is not the nation it used to be 50 years ago. The USA is known now as the world’s largest melting pot. Ever since 911 there’s been an invasion on privacy. There are groups out there that want to do away with the second amendment to avoid terrorism! We live in a global economy now. Think about it. You’re right. Taxes are nothing to worry about in light of what we’re really facing – Big Brother.

[logicalconfusion]

@digip you were right. A federal judge actually authorized the FBI(Obama Administration) to monitor Verizon and AT&T customers under the Patriot Act.

[digip]

@digip you were right. A federal judge actually authorized the FBI(Obama Administration) to monitor Verizon and AT&T customers under the Patriot Act.

Thats ok, that just legalizes what they were already doing illegally under the AT&T until 2 NSA whistle blowers came forward about it. Nothing has changed, except now its legal and on the books, as where before, they were already doing it, but illegally and without constitutional authority or judicial permission, ie: need for warrant, due process, 4th amendment out the window, yada yada yada...