State use taxes

[SchralphMacchio]

I decided to actually go through my receipts for out of state purchases (i.e., Amazon, BC.com, others). I came in around $200 of uncollected use taxes for the year, and yes I'm gonna pay them.

Why? (i) it's the law, (ii) my state is broke, (iii) my local bookstores, bike shops, climbing/mountaineering shops, ski shops are going out of business or hurting because of out of state Internet sales.

Are YOU gonna pay your use taxes this year?

[systemoverblow'd]

No


3456

[huckbucket]

my local bookstores, bike shops, climbing/mountaineering shops, ski shops are going out of business or hurting because of out of state Internet sales.

Sounds like your local bookstores, bike shops, climbing/mountaineering shops, ski shops should get in the business of selling shit over the web too. I know bunch of local owners near me that do really well supplementing their business this way. Adapt or die.

[hutash]

How does paying your taxes from internet purchases help your local stores. Either shop locally, or give them the money you are going to give the state. They will probably use it more effectively.

Besides $200 just in taxes means you have serious gear addiction....seek help son.

[systemoverblow'd]

Sounds like your local bookstores, bike shops, climbing/mountaineering shops, ski shops should get in the business of selling shit over the web too. I know bunch of local owners near me that do really well supplementing their business this way. Adapt or die.

I have a friend who started selling so much more online he actually shut his little brink-n-mortar store down and just continued the business online. Now he makes hand over fist without the overhead of the building, the electricity, etc. It was a little boutique clothing store though so I doubt all businesses could follow his path.

[systemoverblow'd]

Besides $200 just in taxes means you have serious gear addiction....seek help son.

Depends where you live. My state sales tax, I would pay that just in the tower for my computer. One purchase. Granted most people don't spend what I spend on computer shit.

[SchralphMacchio]

How does paying your taxes from internet purchases help your local stores.

It doesn't. It just makes me feel superior to everyone else who doesn't.

[OSECS]

It doesn't. It just makes me feel superior to everyone else who doesn't.

You're doing it wrong. It's those who feel they're To superior to others, to bother paying those Internet taxes.......

[huckbucket]

To answer the OP, I also pay this tax. However, I only claim $5 in tax under the theory that if there's a crackdown the states/govt will start with those people who have never paid a dime. A small and inexpensive gamble.

[gravitylover]

Nope. No need. I don't shop online because my local stores need my support and I like to touch and feel things that I'm buying before making the purchase. In fact I have only purchased one thing online in the last five years and that was because my local store said they just couldn't get it and opened up Amazon right in front of me to search for it.

[mmmm...pow!]

Explain to me why the state gov't is entitled to money for something purchased out of that state. CA ain't broke because of a lack of money, it's broke because dipshits spend money like it's going out of style. We can wipe out about 3/4 of the gov't staff and programs, and the only thing the general public would notice is less bitching about how the state has no money.

[present tense]

are i doing it wrong...don't i get charged state sales tax when i'm buying stuff online?

sorry, my tax return is already confusing as hell, i'm not going to figure out the $38.45 in local sales tax i owe the state. i'll figure it as a deduction as a result of the biannual alignment required for my vehicles from driving on poorly maintained state ROW's.

[huckbucket]

are i doing it wrong...don't i get charged state sales tax when i'm buying stuff online?

You only pay sales tax when the company you buy your product from has a physical presence in your state. That usually means a store. For all other purchases, tax is not collected and you're supposed to report how much of this kind of buying you did over the course of the year and give that money to the govt.

[systemoverblow'd]

You only pay sales tax when the company you buy your product from has a physical presence in your state. That usually means a store. For all other purchases, tax is not collected and you're supposed to report how much of this kind of buying you did over the course of the year and give that money to the govt.

Not always. You buy from Apple.com and you pay state sales tax. Why I would go to Salem and buy there. Wanna know what's even more fucked... I will deduct the purchase from my taxes w/o paying sales tax. I win.

[present tense]

You only pay sales tax when the company you buy your product from has a physical presence in your state. That usually means a store. For all other purchases, tax is not collected and you're supposed to report how much of this kind of buying you did over the course of the year and give that money to the govt.

Oh, I am doing it wrong...never really paid attention to how much/if/when/why i was paying taxes for online purchases. Seems like most of my purchases are amazon or patagonia and i seem to remember paying sales tax on those.

[pointedem]

Are you recovering from substance abuse?

That's the only logical conclusion I can draw from your decision to pay state tax because "my local...shops are going out of business because of...internet sales".

Let me get this straight: You want to support your local businesses by paying state sales tax? That's the single stupidest thing I've read on TGR in years.

Here is an idea.. buy local.

[iceman]

By paying those taxes you get on a much smaller list than the millions upon millions that don't pay them. And when they look at the lists they'll be much more likely be like, "hmmm..what's up with this guy?" and check into your shit further. Especialy Huckbucket with the five bucks paid. As they say in Japan: "The nail that stands up gets pounded down." Much better to be part of the anonymous millions and keep your head down imo.

Besides, what did the state do to deserve that money? Interstate commerce is the province of the Feds last time I read the Constitution.

[huckbucket]

Not always. You buy from Apple.com and you pay state sales tax. Why I would go to Salem and buy there. Wanna know what's even more fucked... I will deduct the purchase from my taxes w/o paying sales tax. I win.

As you probably know, there's an Apple store on Boylston which means that any purchase from Apple (online or other) nets Mass a tax. And "present tense," if the seller that Amazon is fronting for is in your state, you'll pay the tax. I feel like I'm stating the obvious.

Ice - never thought about it that way. Let's see, who they gonna go for first? Those that don't pay or those that underpay? I dunno, but I'm gonna keep playing that $5 bet. What did the state do to deserve that tax? I think it's more like, "why are we losing so much tax revenue compared to what we took in prior to the interwebs?"

[iceman]

Yeah I mean it's just a bet either way, I don't have anything to prove what I said at all. Kinda like usual!

[SchralphMacchio]

You all have convinced me that I should be halfway closer to an 28mm f/1.8, purchased from a local shop, instead of having forked over $200 to my state to do the "right thing" to help its funds. I guess I have too much sympathy for a poorly run government and think about stuff like messed up school funding, but then I could contribute to a local scholarship and have it be so much more effective than paying taxes.

This kind of thinking rocks the very roots of my wannabe euro-inspired socialist leanings ...

Oh yeah, and wrong thread but, here's a morning coffee drink to Joe Pa. Rest in peace old guy.

[miket_81]

No way. I find the Gov to be the biggest "waster" of money there is.. Money is always better to be in the private citizens hands than the governments.

[systemoverblow'd]

As you probably know, there's an Apple store on Boylston which means that any purchase from Apple (online or other) nets Mass a tax. And "present tense," if the seller that Amazon is fronting for is in your state, you'll pay the tax. I feel like I'm stating the obvious.

I can't remember but I think I got juiced by Apple long before the Boylston or Cambridge store was built. I could be wrong though as I didn't pay much attention to these things back then.

[jfost]

... I think it's more like, "why are we losing so much tax revenue compared to what we took in prior to the interwebs?"

well, mailorder works the same way so it's not like it is a brand new phenomenon.

[The Reverend Floater]

Giving more to the gubberment to help protect business? Has the whole world gone CRAZY?

[stuckathuntermtn]

I haven't gotten my damn W2s yet. wtf? Don't I legally have to have them by now?