At 10:01 PM 6/10/99 PDT, Zero wrote:
> I pay sales tax for things that I buy retail, offline. That is .06
>where I live, and .07 in the county next door. So, that is .03-4 less than
>the proposed universal .1.
>
Enjoy it while you can. Pretty soon, we shall see the feds 'rationalize' sales taxes for online purchases, and this savings will vanish.
Illinois sends a 'use tax' form out with all state income tax packets. We are supposed to tell them how much we bought online and via mailorder, and then pay sales tax on that amount. I am still amazed that they think anyone is so stupid to fill those thing out! It would be interesting to find out real compliance statistics.
Years back, some Illinois counties (Cook and Lake) tried to collect 'personal property' taxes on individuals and small businesses. When my Dad got such a bill (Cook County), he would tear it across and trash it. When I started my first business (Lake County), I also got one of these, and trashed it. The tax people actually CALLED me and asked whether I had received the bill. I told them 'no' - they never sent another. I think some corporations actually paid this. Not sure if it just got ignored to death or was repealed, but have not heard of it in quite a while.
Properly administered (and that is a big reach!) a universal sales tax could remove thousands of hidden taxes and make govt. much more accountable to the citizens for income and outgo.