Internet Sales Tax Decision is...

[prairiedruid]

The Supreme Court has decided that states can require internet retailers to collect sales tax. 5-4 decision, I haven't had a chance to read it yet.
NOTE FROM KEVIN: Guys - Please keep the politics out of this so we don't have to close the thread.

 

[prairiedruid]

Supreme Court Decision

 

[briarbuck]

Damn that makes my life harder. The level of MORON that resides at the State level is dumbfounding.

 

[sablebrush52]

Not a surprise. Monetization of the Net is accellerating.

 

[mikethompson]

Was there no sales tax applied to online purchases in the US before?

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

there was not, unless the seller has a physical presence within the same state as the buyer.

 

[sablebrush52]

Yes there was, but no legal teeth for states to demand that users pay it. It's called a usage tax. B&M's have been screaming, justly, that online stores have an unfair advantage because they weren't being forced to collect tax on sales. With this decision, that changes.

 

[prairiedruid]

Was there no sales tax applied to online purchases in the US before?

If the retailer had a physical presence in the state (B&M, warehouse, ect) the retailer had to collect the state's sales tax; otherwise it was the duty of the buyer to self report and pay the tax to the state. Vast majority of people don't do that.

 

[ekert]

Any idea when this will become effective?

 

[woodsroad]

Sales tax in the US is currently on a state-by-state basis only. There is no Federal (national) sales tax or VAT.
Sales tax therefor is only collected by the state in which the purchaser resides. What is changing here is that state governments may now collect sales tax on purchases that their subjects residents make out of state. There have been attempts made prior to this (most states require their subjects residents to pay a so-called "Use Tax" and self-report out-of-state purchases), but the advent of the interwebs has given the overlords states the ability to collect real-time data on those out-of-state sales. All that was missing was for the Supremes to approve the extortion scheme process, since it involves interstate commerce.
I think that I got that all right.

 

[seacaptain]

Another 5-4 decision. Kennedy can't retire soon enough.

 

[sablebrush52]

I think that I got that all right.

Pretty much, though B&M small business owners would see it a bit differently.

 

[sablebrush52]

Another 5-4 decision. Kennedy can't retire soon enough.

You didn't notice who the rest of the supporters were?

 

[seacaptain]

You didn't notice who the rest of the supporters were?

No, I read three different articles and none mentioned anyone but Kennedy who wrote the opinion.
If the conservative block is responsible for this, I'll be totally shocked.
Do you know how the rest voted?

 

[prairiedruid]

Yep this was a different voting than usual. Ginsburg sided with Kennedy, Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch for the 5 vote majority. Roberts, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan were the minority.

 

[seacaptain]

Yep this was a different voting than usual. Ginsburg sided with Kennedy, Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch for the 5 vote majority. Roberts, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan were the minority.

Wow, I AM totally shocked.
Ok, so Ginsburg AND Kennedy can't retire soon enough.

 

[sablebrush52]

Nothing surprising here except how much the decision split along idiot ideological grounds. I've always expected this, which is why I've always paid my user taxes. Hopefully there won't be any attempt to collect retroactively, but if there is, it won't affect me.

 

[prairiedruid]

Ok, so Ginsburg AND Kennedy can't retire soon enough. []

So you give a pass to Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch????

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

Best be buyin' up all the goodies you can, while you can and they're not yet imposing the taxes. Once that hits, it won't likely be any cheaper than going to your B&M. I love going to the local B&M, but the A) the prices are at least double, and I can't afford that all the time, and B) They don't typically have a lot of the things I want to try. The online market is was and easier, better way to shop in a lot of ways.

 

[seacaptain]

So you give a pass to Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch????

It was a joke, calm down.
I AM surprised that most of the conservatives decided States can regulate businesses in other States, and just as surprised most of the liberals didn't jump on board with it, especially since the money collected represents an expansion of government in all those States.