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Thread ID: 118687 2011-06-16 22:30:00 Tax Wars Heat Up (US Content) SurferJoe46 (51) PC World Chat
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1209787 2011-06-16 22:30:00 Just when you thought it was gonna all go away and that the specter of Taxation Without Representation - (remember THAT, Huh Britain?) - here comes Governor ReRun Brown:::


In California - lawmakers have sent to the governor a bill that for shoppers would mean the end of avoiding sales taxes by buying goods online .

Under federal law, retailers that do not have a physical presence in a state are not required to collect taxes in that state . But many cash-strapped states are attempting to change that .

Retailers such as Washington-based Amazon . com and Utah-based Overstock . com have threatened to dump their California affiliates — many of them small businesses — over the issue .

But Pat May of the Mercury News reports that many small businesses support the measure — even though some of them would lose the exposure and reach that the massive online retailers provide — because they Amazon and others have an unfair advantage .

Amazon has not hesitated to get rid of its affiliates elsewhere; it recently did so in Arkansas and Connecticut, where similar laws were enacted .

Here’s where the fighting words come in .

Mark Griffin of The Merc says of Overstock’s general counsel, who makes no pretense that his company views small businesses as expendable:
“What these legislators don’t seem to understand is that in every state that’s enacted such a law, we have discontinued our relationship with our affiliates and it hasn’t affected our business at all . … We understand the difficulty it creates for our affiliates, but it’s not a difficult decision for us to make .

What’s at stake here?

California's bill for collecting online taxes would bring in about $200 million a year to the economically struggling state .

The measure, by the way, was part of a last-minute state budget passed by the legislature Wednesday night which has now been vetoed by Governor Moonbeam .

Maybe I shouldn't have posted this - Upsidedown Land may get a few new ideas .
SurferJoe46 (51)
1209788 2011-06-16 22:35:00 We have the same discussion going on here Joe. Gobe1 (6290)
1209789 2011-06-16 22:42:00 Will the politicians take a pay cut?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

hah.
SurferJoe46 (51)
1209790 2011-06-16 22:55:00 Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

hah.
Gobe1 (6290)
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