Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
But the point is that eBay does all for you. You don't pay the VAT - eBay does. Is there any reason that it couldn't do the same for sales tax? eBay knows where the buyer lives, and could presumably do all the appropriate calculations and make the payment automatically.
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Harry
Have you looked at the convoluted Sales and Use tax laws in the various states?
It takes a large company with many tax lawyers to determine which ITEMS are Taxable and at What rate.
Take Food: Single serving is taxable. A Sheet of Brownies is not.
Books and newspapers: Taxable. Periodical Magazine subscriptions: Not.
Thank goodness, California only has one List. There are States where the Counties and Cities have different 'what is taxable' and those may vary by rate.
The Feds can't do a thing (Except prohibit stepping across state lines to collect from non-residents) as these are 'Local States rights'
I used to sell books on the Internet (before Amazon) and had a Tax presence in other states (requires that I collect destination taxes , even if mailed from California) . Many of my customers, could not even tell me what County they lived in (the rate chart was by county) or accuratly tell me what the current rate was.
Mom-and-Pop don't stand a chance of filing 48
different Tax forms (IIRC 2 states have No sales or Use tax) on a varying periodic basis.