Amazon may raise Prime prices.

[Sregener]

Originally Posted by pl001

For the people that claim ignorance about not paying sales tax, are you also the ones who complain about your income and property taxes going up because you can't figure out where the shortfall came from?

And by the way, ignorance is no excuse. It's just ignorance.

Economics is the study of how we apply limited resources (time, energy, natural resources, money) to unlimited wants. The problem with a shortfall is usually not a lack of resources, but rather the failure to recognize that not every want can be met, and that not every want should be met with government programs and expenditures. See Henry Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson."

I would never use a government estimate of my use tax unless I knew what the actual amount would be. That's just stupid. It's like taking the standard deduction without knowing how much you could get by itemizing.

I don't feel particularly guilty about not paying sales tax on out-of-state sales. I don't see how the state should get anything for those products. It's their own fault for being so anti-business that it's cheaper to buy something from another state and have it shipped in. They don't see it that way, of course. It's all those evil business owners.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Sregener

I don't feel particularly guilty about not paying sales tax on out-of-state sales. I don't see how the state should get anything for those products. It's their own fault for being so anti-business that it's cheaper to buy something from another state and have it shipped in. They don't see it that way, of course. It's all those evil business owners.

Washington requires you to pay use tax for previously taxed items, like cars and garage sales. They also require you to pay the difference in taxes for items purchased at a lower tax rate. Of course, they won't refund you the difference if you paid a higher tax rate.

I feel so sorry for our poor government, that I'm on the verge of breaking out my tiny violin

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Sregener

That's just stupid. It's like taking the standard deduction without knowing how much you could get by itemizing.

I've been that stupid my entire adult life.

[HarryT]

I've started a new thread in the P&R forum for the continuing discussion of the subject of tax evasion. Can those interested in the subject move there, please, and let this thread get back to its original topic?

Thanks.

[pl001]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

The shortfall is usually the fault of our legislators who reallocate funds for purposes they were never intended for. Use tax shortfall is a drop in the bucket compared to the former.

In my state the estimated losses are estimated to be around $150 Million per year, which is far more money than we will be spending on hotly debated sports stadiums. In Florida it is estimated to be up to $800 Million. Not to mention the ripple effect of local sales lost due to a competitive disadvantage.

It is a significant problem that has to be made up somewhere, it can't be swept under the rug and ignored. Online retailers should not be granted a free pass on tax collections that local retailers cannot.

Of course that is just my opinion and I really don't want to get into a long-winded debate about it here, so I won't be adding anything else.

EDIT: Sorry Harry, I was composing when you posted. I am done now anyway though.

[Marcy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

So what you're saying is that it's cheaper for you to buy online because you break the law by not paying the taxes that you're legally required to?

That strikes me as both morally reprehensible (tax evasion is stealing from everybody) and legally wrong.

I personally think it's morally reprehensible for my state to feel it has a right to taxes from a transaction that was completed in another state. But I suspect you and I have wildly differing views of what the scope of government should be and the disturbing (to me) mission creep of government into every aspect of people's lives. Government has become a huge money suck that takes money willy-nilly and poofs it away in a massive display of waste and fraud that should boggle anyone's mind.

This article sums my feelings of the "use" tax pretty well.

http://nevadanewsandviews.com/archives/11857

It is illegal for the state government to collect "sales tax" across state lines due to the commerce clause in the US Constitution so instead states still try to extort this money and call is a "use tax." The entire name is comical -- I'm being taxed to "use" an item I purchased with my own money. I lease a copier/printer for my business and have to pay the "use tax" on it for the privilege of using it, even though it isn't even mine.

Or I suppose I could just be a really morally reprehensible person. Along with all my family, friends, and acquaintances. Hold your nose around us.

[Marcy]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I feel so sorry for our poor government, that I'm on the verge of breaking out my tiny violin

Me too! We can give them a nice duet.

[tubemonkey]

Back to the topic, Amazon had a 10% off sale for Prime members on new kindle Fires. This offer appears to be over. Maybe Amazon should keep it in place permanently as a new perk?

Would love to see a radio streaming service like Pandora added to Prime with no ads and unlimited skips. That would probably get me to renew. As is, I plan to let my membership lapse this November and get it every other year.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Sregener

I would never use a government estimate of my use tax unless I knew what the actual amount would be. That's just stupid. It's like taking the standard deduction without knowing how much you could get by itemizing.

I know how much I spend online. I know what my sales tax rate is. I know what the amount on the chart is. I pay the amount on the chart.

I also know whether the standard deduction is more or less than I would get by itemizing.

Sorry if you think that's stupid.

I don't feel particularly guilty about not paying sales tax on out-of-state sales. I don't see how the state should get anything for those products. It's their own fault for being so anti-business that it's cheaper to buy something from another state and have it shipped in. They don't see it that way, of course. It's all those evil business owners.

I think it's stupid to fail to pay one's fair share. You don't like it, work to change the law, don't evade the tax.

[FizzyWater]

I received a snail mail letter from Amazon yesterday touting its Prime streaming video service and how it's such a great deal for the price.

Wonder if more people than they expected are letting their Prime membership lapse because of this?

[Sregener]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I received a snail mail letter from Amazon yesterday touting its Prime streaming video service and how it's such a great deal for the price.

Wonder if more people than they expected are letting their Prime membership lapse because of this?

I know I gave it more than a little serious thought. In the end, I renewed because of the 2-day shipping. The video streaming is a nice perk for me, as is the free book loan for my Kindle. But neither the streaming nor the free library books would get me to join.

I'd also love to see a streaming music service from Amazon, but I don't see how they could offer it with Prime - most of the streaming services seem to run around $10/month, which is more than all of Prime after the price increase. I wouldn't pay $200/year to Amazon to add in music streaming...

[Sregener]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I know how much I spend online. I know what my sales tax rate is. I know what the amount on the chart is. I pay the amount on the chart.

I also know whether the standard deduction is more or less than I would get by itemizing.

Sorry if you think that's stupid.

You must read for comprehension if you're going to get anywhere in life. Read what I wrote, because I was very specific in what I thought was stupid. It does not apply to your situation.

[Glorfindel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've started a new thread in the P&R forum for the continuing discussion of the subject of tax evasion. Can those interested in the subject move there, please, and let this thread get back to its original topic?
Thanks.

where is P&R?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Sregener

I'd also love to see a streaming music service from Amazon, but I don't see how they could offer it with Prime - most of the streaming services seem to run around $10/month, which is more than all of Prime after the price increase. I wouldn't pay $200/year to Amazon to add in music streaming...

The ~$10 that Pandora charges needs to cover all their infrastructure and overhead as well as the music licensing.

If Amazon wants to include such a feature as an added benefit to attract more people to Prime, they only need to cover the licencing, and going by their history, not even that, if they are willing to make a little less overall profit on the $99 membership cost for the benefit of bringing more people into the ecosystem.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by Glorfindel

where is P&R?

It's the Politics and Religion subforum. Check out this thread if you would like to join that subforum.