We got a problem....

[Okla-homey]

and sooner or later, we're gonna have to deal with it.

Okay sportsfans, sales tax revenues are down all over OUr fair state. As in spiralling. Downward. And sales tax is what pays for cops and firemen and city infrastructure.

Why? Well, IMHO, four (4) reasons, in no particular order: 1) The recession and the unemployment rate; 2) the OTC collects sales tax, then distributes it to the local governments where the sale occurred, while conducting the audits and issuing the notices of violation to businesses which are under reporting or skimming -- and they don't have enough field agents to stay on top of it; 3) on-line purchases which escape sales taxation, and; 4) dwindling consumer retail establishments within the limits of our cities and towns.

So, what is the solution?

Might municipal income taxes be in our future? Say, a penny on every dollar earned within the city limits, whether the earner lives within those city limits or not?

Or perhaps collection of sales taxes based on the IP address of the on-line purchaser? IOW, treat on-line purchases as if they occurred at the computer of the buyer.

Discuss.

[Curly Bill]

Obama?

[SoonerInKCMO]

From Amazon.com's website:


The Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) has been renewed through November 1, 2014.

Please note, the ITFA was primarily intended to prevent state and local governments from imposing new or discriminatory taxes on Internet transactions and on Internet access. Despite the name of the Act, ITFA does not preclude state and local governments from imposing existing sales tax collection requirements on companies selling over the Internet.

Why aren't we collecting sales tax from sales by Amazon and others?

[Okla-homey]

From Amazon.com's website:



Why aren't we collecting sales tax from sales by Amazon and others?

Probably because the geniuses on Lincoln Boulevard in OKC are too busy declaring Oklahoma a gay-free, messican-free zone and requiring the Bible to be taught in public skools.;)

[SoonerInKCMO]

They already have the mechanism in place to return tax receipts to states - they're required to do so in states in which they have a physical presence. And Oklahoma gets sales tax revenue from other sites where the company has an in-state presence (e.g. Target.com). Seems like it should be a no-brainer to call up Seattle and tell 'em we want our money. I mean, we already took their basketball team so we should be used to taking things from them.

[SoonerInKCMO]

Hmm... looks like Amazon doesn't play nice (http://radar.oreilly.com/2010/03/amazon-fires-its-colorado-asso.html) when a state tries to do this.

[BudSooner]

Y'all ran off the messicans, who did send a good portion of money out of the country but spent alot on gas/food etc to live here.

Yeah we have them in Locust too, just not that many. I think 5-6.

[Ike]

Hmm... looks like Amazon doesn't play nice (http://radar.oreilly.com/2010/03/amazon-fires-its-colorado-asso.html) when a state tries to do this.

No they don't, but would you expect anything else? Any company with any clout whatsoever will do whatever it can in its power to avoid having to pay more.

Oh, and Homey, you fail on taxing internet sales. The online purchaser does not have a URL. They have an IP address.

But in general, I completely agree with taxing internet sales at the same rate as other sales. I would however not base it at all on IP addresses at all, and base it instead on shipping address and/or billing address. Probably shipping address. I wouldn't tax online sales of things that don't have to be shipped (like a subscription to a news website, or some other thing).

[Boarder]

and sooner or later, we're gonna have to deal with it.

Okay sportsfans, sales tax revenues are down all over OUr fair state. As in spiralling. Downward. And sales tax is what pays for cops and firemen and city infrastructure.

Why? Well, IMHO, four (4) reasons, in no particular order: 1) The recession and the unemployment rate; 2) the OTC collects sales tax, then distributes it to the local governments where the sale occurred, while conducting the audits and issuing the notices of violation to businesses which are under reporting or skimming -- and they don't have enough field agents to stay on top of it; 3) on-line purchases which escape sales taxation, and; 4) dwindling consumer retail establishments within the limits of our cities and towns.

So, what is the solution?

Might municipal income taxes be in our future? Say, a penny on every dollar earned within the city limits, whether the earner lives within those city limits or not?

Or perhaps collection of sales taxes based on the URL of the on-line purchaser? IOW, treat on-line purchases as if they occurred at the computer of the buyer.

Discuss.
You're already supposed to pay state use taxes on what you buy online. They just don't enforce it, which leads back to your point number two.


"If you have purchased items for use in Oklahoma from retailers who do not collect Oklahoma sales tax, you owe Oklahoma use tax on those items," Ross said. "A use tax is paid by the buyer when the Oklahoma sales tax has not been collected by the seller. Individuals in Oklahoma are responsible for paying use tax on their out-of- state purchases."

Which comes from this article (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20100203/ai_n49483576/) that tells how Brad Henry is on board with making the law more specific and collecting internet sales tax.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Or to address what Homey spoke of, call your state legislator.

Senate Bill 1656 will allow municipalities to collect ad valorem dollars to fund "municipal fire protection districts". Where this differs from current statute is that this will qualify a lone municipality to fund its fire service with ad valorem instead of through solely the creation of a fire protection district, a funding mechanism established to allow rural departments to join together and establish a funding source. It would also establish ad valorem dollars for fire departments that provide EMS services such as first response, but can't qualify for ad valorem because of state language that requires the municipal entity to perform actual transport services.

In other words, there's an opportunity to reduce the load on various towns and cities general funds, and thusly reduce the need for funding critical services through unstable sources such as sales tax revenue.

If you believe in the stability of basic municipal governmental functions and are as worried as I about dwindling sales tax revenues reflecting in reduced services from these essential municipal entities, call your state congressman!

[OULenexaman]

Interesting thread here....Boarder makes a good point...it is not truly enforced.....not on my online purchases made from IL.....so they are getting screwed too....not a bad thing in this state IMO...they would just waste it...

[Breadburner]

You forgot to mention Casinos....

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Collecting more in taxes, including those for internet purchases, didn't solve the problem here in California. Sooner or later, the focus must be on gov't spending less.

[Curly Bill]

Yeah boys, lets focus on not paying enough in taxes already. Sheesh...:rolleyes:

[yermom]

.

[OULenexaman]

[QUOTE=Curly Bill;2848064]Yeah boys, lets focus on not paying enough in taxes already. Sheesh...:rolleyes:[/QUOT

You should spend some time in IL...where it is taxes R Us...you name it....they find a way to raise it..or create it...:( :(

[bluedogok]

Yeah boys, lets focus on not paying enough in taxes already. Sheesh...:rolleyes:

You should spend some time in IL...where it is taxes R Us...you name it....they find a way to raise it..or create it...:( :(
Their motto is If it moves...tax it...if it doesn't move...tax it...

It's not far from that here, but most of it is because of no income tax...yet.

[olevetonahill]

Yall orta be 100% disabled Vets
No sales taxes , No property taxes .
Awe hell aint it great to get shot to shat fer yer country :P

[GottaHavePride]

You're already supposed to pay state use taxes on what you buy online. They just don't enforce it, which leads back to your point number two.



Which comes from this article (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20100203/ai_n49483576/) that tells how Brad Henry is on board with making the law more specific and collecting internet sales tax.


The "state use tax" thing is retarded and nearly unenforceable. If they want to collect sales tax on internet sales they'll have to pass a law saying online sales are taxed as though the transaction takes place in the state where the vendor's primary corporate office is located. And then we'll see companies re-locating their "primary corporate office" to places with no sales tax. Or overseas.

[SCOUT]

Those local governments should reduce their spending during the lean years just like the rest of us. Problem solved.