While Mr. Morris is against the sales tax on internet purposes based on Constitutional reason there is another side to the story. The local and state governments are loosing a tremendous amount of revenue due to internet purchases. Since they are out of money they must find other ways to raise revenues like higher fees for registering you vehicles. Higher property taxes. And they are raising sales taxes on the stuff you buy locally.
On Cyber Monday the sales numbers hit $2 Billion. At a conservative sales tax rate of 5% that equates to $100 Million in lost revenue. The local and states need to make this up somewhere?????
Jack
You're assuming that any new tax revenues would go to the local and state govts instead of the feds just keeping it for themselves (they dont have the willpower, just look at social security trust fund). Also, just as the lack of sales tax on the internet has created an incentive for consumers to buy online versus at a physical store, the US taxing internet sales will create an incentive for consumers to buy on the internet, but in a way to bypass the US internet tax. So the consumer types in www.storename followed by .ca (Canada) or .mx (mexico) instead of .com., and saves 5% or whatever the sales tax rate is. and adds to our trade deficit and causes US businesses to lose revenue. So those businesses fire people and now gov has to raise other taxes more to pay the benefits of the fired people and cover the other lost revenues from that business/employee not being as productive. Taxes have implications beyond their face value.
Keith