Yeah but it isn't like there is a department of the government specifically intended to find people who mispay on taxes! So we got no worries!
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Maryland Amazon Prime Shoppers, we must pay taxes now. WTF
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Yeah but it isn't like there is a department of the government specifically intended to find people who mispay on taxes! So we got no worries!
but this is a HUGE benefit...jobs, speediness on delivery to your house...
well, says the politicians.
Technically, you were supposed to pay taxes on that stuff anyway. Since many, many are shopping online and many, many, many are shopping on Amazon, MD made a deal with Amazon. they gave them a nice tax break, said it will increase jobs for MDers, said it would decrease shipping times, and brings in sales tax on things we are buying and shipping to MD.
I heard about this earlier. and then was reminded when overheard someone at work say it started today. So, last year there was the increase for FREE shipping from Amazon, now there is the MD Taxes.
I think what WILL happen is you will pay more (in taxes) and things will be delivered in the same amount of time. And the taxes will likely go toward only the densely populated areas, leaving those in rural areas no benefit.
I think the main problem with people "paying taxes as they should" is not only do we see the great gov't inefficiencies, we are also seeing many "friendship deals" and the "friends and family employees" that politicians hire at a much higher pay than should, we also see tax dollars strictly hit certain districts and not be placed throughout. we see State gov't push expenses to County gov'ts and though state taxes may decrease, local taxes need to make up for the newly-pushed expenses. and thus no tax break.
it sucks but one day in the future, all internet purchases will be taxed and App purchases will be taxed, etc.
well, says the politicians.
Technically, you were supposed to pay taxes on that stuff anyway. Since many, many are shopping online and many, many, many are shopping on Amazon, MD made a deal with Amazon. they gave them a nice tax break, said it will increase jobs for MDers, said it would decrease shipping times, and brings in sales tax on things we are buying and shipping to MD.
I heard about this earlier. and then was reminded when overheard someone at work say it started today. So, last year there was the increase for FREE shipping from Amazon, now there is the MD Taxes.
I think what WILL happen is you will pay more (in taxes) and things will be delivered in the same amount of time. And the taxes will likely go toward only the densely populated areas, leaving those in rural areas no benefit.
I think the main problem with people "paying taxes as they should" is not only do we see the great gov't inefficiencies, we are also seeing many "friendship deals" and the "friends and family employees" that politicians hire at a much higher pay than should, we also see tax dollars strictly hit certain districts and not be placed throughout. we see State gov't push expenses to County gov'ts and though state taxes may decrease, local taxes need to make up for the newly-pushed expenses. and thus no tax break.
it sucks but one day in the future, all internet purchases will be taxed and App purchases will be taxed, etc.
As you noted yourself earlier in your post, those purchases are already subject to tax...and always have been.
the only thing that will change by having all online merchants collecting it is the people who have been tax cheats for years won't get away with it anymore.
Then go to Best Buy. I hope they have in stock all models of whatever you plan to buy.
How could you justify to pay taxes when buying in stores like Best Buy and not paying taxes when shopping on Amazon? The Amazon prime gives you the benefits of having stuffs shiped to your door within 2 days, and in some cases next day.
or perhaps I should have said purchases to a concert or amusement park or the like will be taxed again in that state as the transaction is made online.
but, at least in MD, you are double taxed when you have a refund. you are taxed once on the earnings, then when you get the refund, taxed on that. but that was previously taxed since it was included in all earnings W2s AND to top it off, you are NOT given any interest on the withholdings. BUT i suppose it is OK for the Government to be a TAX CHEAT???
... what?
You're not double taxed at all.
Withholdings are pretax money.
if you get some back then that's NEW, not-previously-taxed income.
Your taxes are based on your adjusted gross income, not total gross income.
Uh, if you set your taxes up correctly, you don't get a refund.
As you noted- a refund is an interest free loan to the government.
If you're smart you do the opposite of that.
Set your taxes up so that you owe money at the end of the year.
Ideally you'll owe exactly $1 under the amount where a penalty is charged
and then guess what?
The government gave you an interest free loan all year on that amount!
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This happened in Florida in May.
My purchases at Amazon dropped like a rock.
Add to the fact that most of the time, Amazon is the same price on the things I buy at Target or Best Buy.
Why wait for Amazon to ship it when I can walk in and buy it now for same price?
And for all the Tax Straw Man arguments...
This is a sales tax, I am not using the roads, police, fire department, traffic signals, polluting the air, etc.
I am sitting in my home waiting for UPS.
If anything, they should give me a tax rebate for keeping the streets clear.
Seriously considering giving up my Amazon Prime.
One tip that works some of the time... If are buying something, make sure to check all sellers, sometimes an item will be Prime but not sold from Amazon, therefore it won't charge you the bogus sales tax.
My purchases at Amazon dropped like a rock.
Add to the fact that most of the time, Amazon is the same price on the things I buy at Target or Best Buy.
Why wait for Amazon to ship it when I can walk in and buy it now for same price?
And for all the Tax Straw Man arguments...
This is a sales tax, I am not using the roads, police, fire department, traffic signals, polluting the air, etc.
I am sitting in my home waiting for UPS.
If anything, they should give me a tax rebate for keeping the streets clear.
Seriously considering giving up my Amazon Prime.
One tip that works some of the time... If are buying something, make sure to check all sellers, sometimes an item will be Prime but not sold from Amazon, therefore it won't charge you the bogus sales tax.
This happened here in florida a few months ago.
The good news is that fulfilled by Amazon orders still generally don't charge tax. Many authorized retailers sell on Amazon, so for me. On the larger scale, collecting tax has been a non issue.
Apple is about the only company I can't find an authorized 3rd party retailer for on Amazon. These days with the student and mover coupons + in store promotions. It's typically less expensive to get Apple computers from Best Buy or another online place anyway.
removing the extra lines.
to the second part...yes, I understand that's how things are ideally set up for taxes. the past few years of different jobs and a newborn and other things have caused my taxes to be a bit off when trying to work them out...unemployment, contract work.
Anyway, to the first thing, I might have used the wrong words. an accountant my wife works with said the same thing. I've thought it would be similar to how you made it out but somewhere along the way it does get double taxed. at work now, it isn;t tax time and I don't feel like trying to dig for it.
because then it just shows up at my house instead of having to fight crowds, traffic, and idiot salesmen at Best Buy?
And it's pretty rare that 'regular' price at best buy is as cheap as amazon.
Does UPS just teleport there, or do they use the roads, traffic signals, and pollute the air with their trucks and planes?
Except the tax isn't bogus, and you'd still be required by law to remit the tax yourself as a use tax.
The fact you keep trying to find new ways to illegally avoid taxes doesn't change the fact it's illegal.
You are required to pay sales tax.
You mean to tell us you have been EVADING TAXES???
Yikes. Glad I'm not you.
On an unrelated note, Kleenex called and said absolutely DO NOT stop crying/whining about this. It's almost singlehandedly keeping them in business.
Thanks?
You mean to tell us you have been EVADING TAXES???
Yikes. Glad I'm not you.
On an unrelated note, Kleenex called and said absolutely DO NOT stop crying/whining about this. It's almost singlehandedly keeping them in business.
Thanks?
Then the accountant was wrong. It's not double taxed.
that's a pretty basic thing to get wrong so I hope you don't use that accountant for anything tax related.
The basic explanation is this:
Taxes from your paycheck are pretax money. They come from your gross income, and go to the federal, state, or local government charging that tax.
At the end of the year someone itemizing their deductions deducts a number of things from gross income... he also deducts the amount they paid in those taxes.
After deductions the amount left is your adjusted gross income... the amount you actually get taxed on.
If it turns out you had too much deducted through the year in state taxes, you get some of that PRETAX money back.
That's income. That is taxable.
Because you have never paid taxes on it before.
So it's not double taxed, it's taxed only once.
-If it is the same, I'll fight the roads to have the luxury of seeing the item, testing it out (headphones), compare with other items, and return without visiting the post office and box things up.
-Most big ticket items (B&W Headphones) are the same exact price at both places. If one reduces, the other usually follows.
-Why no, UPS doesn't teleport there, they drive. And guess what, they pay taxes and pass that cost to the company that uses their service. Funny how the system works, isn't it?
-Fine, you submit your tax and trust me to submit what taxes I should pay. I have no problem paying sales tax, when I go to a store and purchase something. Cost of living in the area, I am happy to do it.
I don't think anyone LIKES paying taxes, but it's not like taxes don't come back as paychecks for Marines, or veterans on disability, or a thousand other things that directly help some people maintain their lifestyles.
... what? why would I need to go to the post office?
Amazon lets you print a shipping label at home, just put it back on the same box it came in and have the shipper pick it up from your door... yet ANOTHER trip saved.
Certainly there'll be a small % of items it's important to try out in person, but that's going to be a minority.... and for most of those you can go see em at the expensive brick and mortar store, then go home and buy em for 20% less online.
My Samsung TV was about $500 less online than what Best Buy wanted for it... that's a bit more "big ticket" than most headphones.
Ditto most of my big ticket items now that I think of it...
B&M stores generally can't afford to sell all the things as cheaply as online places because they have significantly more overhead... when you can't beat Best Buy regular price by checking online is usually the exception, not the rule.
Uh... what? UPS doesn't pay sales tax on the items they're delivering to you.
YOU do.
Well, ok, not you, but people who actually follow the law do....
Except you've already admitted you don't actually pay the taxes you're legally required to on online purchases.
The law doesn't include a "just pay the ones you agree with" clause I'm afraid
then you're breaking the law, and pretending you aren't doesn't change that.
Might as well just shoplift stuff, I mean that's even cheaper than ebay and ALSO lets you dodge paying the taxes you legally owe!
I'm in the same boat, you're in Maryland also?
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Were you ever a hall monitor in school?
No, but I was on the debate team and enjoyed pointing out the logical flaws in folks arguments
If you're going to break the law to save money, you might as well go all the way and just steal stuff, right?
I mean if you've already admitted your cheapness trumps the law in your morality, why go for half measures?
Ehh the taxes actually aren't THAT bad. You may save a few bucks but Amazon is so convenient and fast if you have Prime. I order tons and tons of stuff from Amazon... At first I said the same thing but then after a few weeks I didn't even care because it's so much easier.
Please. I don't need you telling me about law. Sorry if that offends you but tough. I like so many others buy online to avoid tax.
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Prime is only useful when I need fast ship. Otherwise I can assure you I can beat prime prices often as they are higher to counter balance the free faster free ship.
Right- you're proudly announcing you ignore the law to save money... so why not just shoplift and steal stuff directly and cut out the middle man?
Your halfway stance doesn't make much sense.
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