If taxes are imposed on Internet what will you do?

Question

I read that taxes are going to be imposed by this fall on internet shopping, new monthly taxes on DSL and other connections. One senator is even predicting taxes on e-mail.

Leave your comments.

Details here:http://news.com.com/Net%20taxes%20could%20arrive%20by%20this%20fall/2100-1028_3-6186193.html

Answer 1

I really am not going to have much choice but to pay the taxes since they will come as part of my bill and invoices. It really is going to be a burden on small internet retailers who will need to figure out what sales taxes due on any number of locations. Tax on e-mail is another matter altogether. If it is on e-mail received as well as sent, I am going to have to shut off most of my e-mail accounts, which mostly get spam. I get about 200-300 messages per message I send. I would probably also try to find the personal e-mails of as many elected public officials as possible and start sending them my messages from Nigerian generals offering to make me rich, the U.K lottery, and whatnot.

Answer 2

This has been on and off again since 1992 with the original Supreme Court ruling that defined internet orders are mail-order and barred collection of sales taxes unless the vendor had a tax nexus in the home state of the customer.

If anything is passed, we'll have little option but to pay it.

The tax on e-mail has been a rumor for nearly as long as "The Internet" has been in the public jargon. As a matter of taxation for the average user it wouldn't amount to much, but as a tool to rein in mass marketers -- Spammers, if you will -- it may have some merit. If there was a tax of 1 cent per 100 messages levied on any messages sent over 200 or 300 a day, the law would have a new weapon to use against Spammers. The average user wouldn't pay any tax, but Spammers would be slammed with massive bills, a serious incentive to state and federal tax authorities to go after them. Remember, Al Capone was never convicted of any of his crimes EXCEPT tax evasion!

Answer 3

This email tax rumor has been around for a long time, and is just a rumor.

Sales tax is already charged in some cases on Internet sales, and when it's not, by many state laws a use tax is due although it's often ignored. I know that PA just recently started cracking down on taxes on Internet purchases of cigarettes - it's been in the news.

There are already many taxes on phone services, so a tax on internet connections wouldn't necessarily be a big surprise.

Answer 4

That would SUCK! I guess I would pay for the dsl, but I wouldnt pay like that for the email, I would just call people instead.