Sales tax

[termite06]

SS Planer--------$949.99
Shipping---------$59.50
VA sales tax-----$42.50

Now that 42.50 would go a long way for, lets say, the Planer/Jointer Knife Sharpener for $56.49.

[kalynzoo]

As you can see, I live in Southern California. We have nearly perfected the concept of taxation, and are working hard at improvement. If it doesn't move it is taxed, if it moves it is licensed and taxed. If it breaths it is taxed and there is a tax when it stops breathing. Lately, as we try to stop increased taxes we have started to increase "fees." There are also fines, and the ubiquitous fees on fines. How does this apply to the thread? Well, if I order something, and I often do, just try to ship it promptly, and I probably won't notice the tax.

[Ed in Tampa]

[quote="a1gutterman"]Hi Ed,
With my income and deductions, I pay very little in Federal Income Taxes]

I don't how much you make or your deductions but perhaps you should be paying more tax and some others that are strapped with tax a little less.

Also figure in all your taxes. Gas, sales tax, property and etc. My guess is your paying a lot more than you think. Also there are people far richer than you that aren't nearly paying anything and certainly not even close to the same percentage rate. What I would like to see is a flat tax that EVERYONE pays on everything they buy.
Granted some guy that just wants to make money and never spend it would make out, but normally everyone tends to spend about the same percentage of their income.

My way of thinking is if two families have the same number of people in the family, and the same income they should be paying approximately the same taxes. Unfortunately right now they don't, one family may pay nothing and the other at high as 10+ percent of their income in federal taxes alone.
Ed

[a1gutterman]

I don't how much you make or your deductions but perhaps you should be paying more tax and some others that are strapped with tax a little less.

Also figure in all your taxes. Gas, sales tax, property and etc. My guess is your paying a lot more than you think. Also there are people far richer than you that aren't nearly paying anything and certainly not even close to the same percentage rate. What I would like to see is a flat tax that EVERYONE pays on everything they buy.
Granted some guy that just wants to make money and never spend it would make out, but normally everyone tends to spend about the same percentage of their income.

My way of thinking is if two families have the same number of people in the family, and the same income they should be paying approximately the same taxes. Unfortunately right now they don't, one family may pay nothing and the other at high as 10+ percent of their income in federal taxes alone.
Ed

But Ed,
Some of those taxes would still be there. A federal sales tax would not eliminate the state and local taxes that you mention. My state has a 33 cents per gallon gas tax; I believe it is the highest in the nation. That would not go away. My property taxes are paid to my county. They would still charge me them, on top of the federal sales tax. I understand what you want: You want All federal, state and local taxes to go away and then just have one sales tax in place that the feds would distribute. That will not happen without major changes in both the United States Constitution AND each of the states constitutions. It will not happen. If the feds do start a national sales tax, it would be IN ADDITION TO all of those other taxes. Each state of our union is a government in its own right. they WILL NOT give up their "right" to tax their citizens. Each county is a government in their own right. They WILL NOT give up their "right" to tax their citizens. Our federal, constitutionally controlled, government was put into place for one reason and one reason only: To protect it's citizens from the rest of the world. Each state that is part of the union is a nation of it's own. No sovereign nation (and each of our states are just that) would be willing to give up their "right" to tax its citizens.

BTW, I am pretty sure that I am aware of each and every tax that I pay. I even complain to the phone company about all of the taxes that are added on to my bill under various names. Fees, charges, whatever you want to call them, they are taxes. My phone bill is about 33 % taxes. When the city of Des Moines, WA wanted to annex the unincorporated area that I lived in, they promised that they wood (sp) not raise taxes. Immediately after annexation, each and every one of my utility bills had a new tax on it. It wasn't new to the city, just to those that had not been part of the city before. Our state has a constitutional law that allows it's citizens to have initiatives put on the ballot. One of these initiatives required that the vehicle tab tax be rolled back to $30 (The tax I paid was over $400 on my pick-up). It passed. Now, the state decided that every few years we need to replace our license plates, because they fade and the State Patrol cannot see them. That charge is a new tax that they engineered to help replace the money that we took away from them. Just this last legislative session, our state government was considering charging a new tax on our vehicles that would be based on engine displacement. My 1997 pick-up, having a 454, would be charged $450 per year on top of the "$30" tab tax (which is now up to $69). This did not get out of committee....this year.

I like less government and few taxes. I wood (sp) prefer that at the inauguration next year, that the next president does not sign the declaration that we are in a state of emergency, which is the only reason that the Feds can constitutionally collect taxes from us anyway. That won't happen either.

[Randy]

As John said, if you like to pay taxes move to Quebec.....where you calculate taxes on taxes...and then you have the hidden taxes...

And every time one level of govt tries to lower a tax another level of govt raises a different one just so you don't get used to having an extra buck in you pocket!

[fjimp]

Matt your point is well taken but do we really want to cheat our governor out of spending the peoples money. Jim

[kalynzoo]

The only good thing about paying taxes is the knowledge that I can:D Beyond that, the entire concept goes downhill. A completely support the flat tax, but think of all the accountants and tax attorneys that would have to apply for unemployment. How about all those government agencies that would have to find other things to investigate and manage. Think I'll give my mind a rest and go back into the shop and make some big pieces of wood into little pieces of wood. Have a nice day.

[Ed in Tampa]

Tim
If you read my original statement was get rid of all taxes except one sales tax. Then you don't need a local tax Bureaucracy, state tax bureaucracy, federal tax bureaucracy and IRS. The only problem then would to find jobs for the thousands upon thousands of local, state and federal bureacrats that never had to work for a living and don't even care enough to know the tax laws they were working under. By closing loopholes and removing all the associated bureaucracy the tax rate would actually be lower than what we we are now paying when you consider all the tax we pay.

Incidentialy for those that say well I'm not using any gas so removing a gas tax and including it is a sales tax would not be fair to me. Do you really think you don't pay a gas tax? If you never owned a car in your life your still paying the gas tax. Every manufacture, every trucker that touches the products you do buy, every person that sales or makes the products you do buy includes a very small percentage of the gas tax in their cost.

Now to get back on point, presently only states that physically do business in the state of sale must charge sales tax and remit the collected tax back to the state. Since shopsmith no longer does demos or direct sales in any of the eastern states, my question was why can't they stop collecting state sales tax. It would save us. It would save SS, they wouldn't have to do all the paper work to pay each state their "due".
Ed

[a1gutterman]

Hi Ed,

Tim
If you read my original statement was get rid of all taxes except one sales tax. Then you don't need a local tax Bureaucracy, state tax bureaucracy, federal tax bureaucracy and IRS. The only problem then would to find jobs for the thousands upon thousands of local, state and federal bureacrats that never had to work for a living and don't even care enough to know the tax laws they were working under. By closing loopholes and removing all the associated bureaucracy the tax rate would actually be lower than what we we are now paying when you consider all the tax we pay.

My response (from an earlier post):

........................I understand what you want: You want All federal, state and local taxes to go away and then just have one sales tax in place that the feds would distribute. That will not happen without major changes in both the United States Constitution AND each of the states constitutions. It will not happen. If the feds do start a national sales tax, it would be IN ADDITION TO all of those other taxes. Each state of our union is a government in its own right. they WILL NOT give up their "right" to tax their citizens. Each county is a government in their own right. They WILL NOT give up their "right" to tax their citizens. Our federal, constitutionally controlled, government was put into place for one reason and one reason only: To protect it's citizens from the rest of the world. Each state that is part of the union is a nation of it's own. No sovereign nation (and each of our states are just that) would be willing to give up their "right" to tax its citizens...........

BTW Ed, I enjoy that we can have this discussion, and no hard feelings. I enjoy your posts]

Incidentialy for those that say well I'm not using any gas so removing a gas tax and including it is a sales tax would not be fair to me. Do you really think you don't pay a gas tax? If you never owned a car in your life your still paying the gas tax. Every manufacture, every trucker that touches the products you do buy, every person that sales or makes the products you do buy includes a very small percentage of the gas tax in their cost.

I've got no arguement with you on that point!

Now to get back on point, presently only states that physically do business in the state of sale must charge sales tax and remit the collected tax back to the state. Since shopsmith no longer does demos or direct sales in any of the eastern states, my question was why can't they stop collecting state sales tax. It would save us. It would save SS, they wouldn't have to do all the paper work to pay each state their "due".
Ed

Ed, Absolutely! I agree wholeheartedly: SS should NOT be collecting sales tax on sales that they make in states that they do not have a presence in (which is something a little different then an actual "physical" location). But, if they do one show, at a fair or something similar, they DO have a presence. Are you telling me that SS never "does" a fair or a homeshow, etc., in the state of Florida?

[ryanbp01]

I don't know about Florida, but it has been about 3 years since they had a physical presence in Indiana.

BPR