Mississippi Bill Would Tax Software Sales 293
Byzantine writes "The Mississippi Legislature has passed MS House Bill 1461 which would amend the state's tax laws specifically to charge sales tax on 'electrically transferred digital products,' including products bought via mail-order. The bill is currently on the governor's desk awaiting signature." Softpedia claims that 20 states have enacted download taxes of one sort or another — most of them for iTunes music — and that New York is considering taxing downloads of all kinds.
Re:Logical Move (Score:3, Informative)
When the mode of commerce changes , tax people in order to fund the government and pay for things like social services, roads, and other infrastructure.
I get so tired of this argument. Government is not always bad, taxes are not always bad, and markets are not always the answer. The rest of the world has been dealing with these realities since the 1970s. If we don't wake up, our wealth isn't going to last into another generation.
And finally, the "right" to get wealthy is less important than anything on the Bill of Rights. Liberty has nothing to do with owning a Hummer.
Re:Already taxed in EU (Score:4, Informative)
Yes and No... it depends on the Province, the size of the company, and wether you are selling in-province or out-of-province, in some it's 0, in others its anywhere from about 5% to as high as 18%.
Selling outside of country is generally tax free, with exceptions like the EU, where there's some weird translated tax, where 'our' tax of the item gets sent to the EU.
But naturally, because like all governments it's a clusterfuck of weird loopholes, there are ways around almost all the taxes. But I am by no means an expert on it, so if you really want to know, you'll have to look elsewhere.
Re:So, are the retailers going to report these sal (Score:3, Informative)
I believe that was soundly decided against in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota [cornell.edu].
Re:Inevitable.... (Score:3, Informative)
http://e-city.ca/events/event_details.php?id=143 [marketvalueassessment]
Retired homeowners see their assessments skyrocketing because others are buying and selling, putting their ability to age in place at risk.
Re:Tax Evasion? (Score:4, Informative)
Is there precedent for prosecuting for failing to pay sales tax on stolen physical goods?
It's right there in black and white and never been repealed.
(From the 2008 US IRS guidelines http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch12.html [irs.gov] )
Illegal activities. Income from illegal activities, such as money from dealing illegal drugs, must be included in your income on Form 1040, line 21, or on Schedule C or Schedule C-EZ (Form 1040) if from your self-employment activity.