Use taxes and you

[Ideologue]

It's called a "use tax" in South Carolina, anyway.  Other states and countries may differ on the terminology, and some jurisdictions do not require them at all, but the general idea is that physical shit you buy from out of jurisdiction through Amazon or similar, to be used in your jurisdiction, should be reported on your tax return and your refund debited to the amount your jurisdiction sets.  It's essentially a sales tax that you haven't paid but your government is legally due.

I added up my stuff from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk and it seems I owed about $70 in use tax.  It's lame, and sales taxes are sort of evil in principle, but it is the law and I can't really say that having to pay 6% on what really amounts to luxury goods is egregiously unfair.*  So, I reported and paid it out of my refund.

Did you remember?  Did you even care?

*Indeed, SC--the state that produced economic psychopath Jim DeMint--has been surprisingly progressive as far as their sales tax regime goes.  The tax on groceries is only 1%--this doesn't include cat food, though, and I'm considering calling my state rep to see if he can get that changed.  Kitties gotta eat too.

[fhdz]

Why are sales taxes - as long as they do not apply to "staples" - any more or less evil than income taxes?

[MadImmortalMan]

I'm pretty sure my state requires the vendors to charge me the tax, so I pay it at point of sale.

[fhdz]

Oh - also: I haven't paid a "use tax", because Oregon has no sales tax.

[Ideologue]

Why are sales taxes - as long as they do not apply to "staples" - any more or less evil than income taxes?

Sometimes a poor person wants to buy a DVD, Paternalistic Pete.

Sales taxes are evil, no matter how complex and nuanced they may be, because there is a far superior revenue generator: progressive taxes on paychecks and profits.

[Ideologue]

Oh - also: I haven't paid a "use tax", because Oregon has no sales tax.

And Oregon will be spared from the flood.  So stop being contrary.

[garbon]

What's the point of a use tax if most people fail to pay and rarely does the gov't check?

[fhdz]

Sometimes a poor person wants to buy a DVD, Paternalistic Pete.

Moral argument against sales taxes: insufficiently progressive, affect the poor to a greater degree than the wealthy. Understood.

Sales taxes are evil, no matter how complex and nuanced they may be, because there is a far superior revenue generator: progressive taxes on paychecks and profits.

Sudden shift in moral argument against sales taxes: morality is determined by efficiency of revenue generation. Okay.

[fhdz]

Oh - also: I haven't paid a "use tax", because Oregon has no sales tax.

And Oregon will be spared from the flood.  So stop being contrary.

I'm not being contrary; I answered your fucking poll with one of the answers you provided

[Ideologue]

Sometimes a poor person wants to buy a DVD, Paternalistic Pete.

Moral argument against sales taxes: insufficiently progressive, affect the poor to a greater degree than the wealthy. Understood.

Sales taxes are evil, no matter how complex and nuanced they may be, because there is a far superior revenue generator: progressive taxes on paychecks and profits.

Sudden shift in moral argument against sales taxes: morality is determined by efficiency of revenue generation. Okay.

I didn't say more efficient.  While that may also be the case, I said superior, i.e. morally superior.  Sales (and property) taxes are morally inferior to wage and profit taxes, because the former--even when relatively well-designed--are far likelier to exact an unfair result, and indeed, can seriously impact people who don't even have wages or profits.

[fhdz]

I didn't say more efficient.  While that may also be the case, I said superior, i.e. morally superior.  Sales (and property) taxes are morally inferior to wage and profit taxes, because the former--even when relatively well-designed--are far likelier to exact an unfair result, and indeed, can seriously impact people who don't even have wages or profits.

Ah, I took your "superior" in terms of effectiveness rather than morality.

[garbon]

*Indeed, SC--the state that produced economic psychopath Jim DeMint--has been surprisingly progressive as far as their sales tax regime goes.  The tax on groceries is only 1%--this doesn't include cat food, though, and I'm considering calling my state rep to see if he can get that changed.  Kitties gotta eat too.

I'm confused. As far as I know most places don't charge tax on food groceries.

[Josephus]

I'm so fucking honest.

Here, let me tell you a quick story. So last Saturday I fly back from Cuba. In Cuba I bought two bottles of Havana Club rum. That's two 700 ml bottles. Now, Canada Customs allows you to bring back 1.14L of alcohol without paying duties. I have no idea where they got that number but they did.
So, I fill out my declaration form on the plane and tick the "Are you bring more than your allowance" or whatever it actually says.
So I show my declaration card to the officer at the counter. A cute young blonde, for what its worth. She looks over my form:
"What you bringing over the allowance?"
"Well, I brought back two bottles of rum and that puts me slightly over the allowance."
"Two 750 ml bottles?" she nods.
"Actually two 700ml bottles."
She smiles. "You're right that is over. Most people don't seem to think so."
Me, a bit relaxed and feelign slightly flirtatious now. "Yeah, people say you can bring back two bottles, but on the form it says 1.14L"
She signs my card and says. "You know in all the years I've done this you're the first person to actually declare two bottles." She smiles, a bit too condescendingly i thought. "But thanks for being honest."

[fhdz]

"I will never, ever fuck you."

[garbon]

She signs my card and says. "You know in all the years I've done this you're the first person to actually declare two bottles." She smiles, a bit too condescendingly i thought. "But thanks for being honest."

Good you made her waste more of her time.