Local taxes in the USA - tourist regulations

Unless you arrange with your credit card company to do that. I'd have
B&H send the stuff to the California address.

 

Hardly, they've had repeated failures trying to get sales taxes applied
on out-of-state mail order companies.

They've certainly made out-of-state companies waste a lot of money on
lawyers resisting the state's demands.

If I were actually within their jurisdiction, I'd certainly try to stay
on their good side.

 

Wrong. California can only require that retailers with a business
presence in the state collect sales tax. B&H has never collected sales
tax from me. California does require (request?) that residents pay "use
tax" on items received from other states where California sales tax was
not paid - dunno how they're going to enforce that.

-Dave

 

Exactly, it comes down to jurisdiction. There'd be another civil war
if companies based entirely in low sales-tax states had to start
collecting taxes for other high-tax states.

 

Eventually data collection and transfer will be so easy that reporting
sales info to other states will be very simple. You'll see a lot more
reciprocity agreements and those low sales tax states won't see the
benefit any more.

Or we might all die of the plague. In either case, hopefully I'll be
dead of old age by that time.

 

The real current problem is determining the correct taxing district and
rate. There are often thousands of taxing districts in one state and they
may not follow zip code lines.

 

Yep, because if a state can do it to another state, a county can do it
to another county and a city can do it to another city or any
combination of the above. These all have taxing authority, but luckily
they've made it so damn complicated agreements will be difficult at
best.

 

Yeah, that happens when you don't have state income tax.

 

And school district, and fire district and MRDs and ....

 

And sometimes when you do.

 

When I worked in publishing, I'd love when one of the people from the
Texas satellite office would mention how they didn't have state income
tax. Then I'd kindly mention to them all the different taxes they paid
that I didn't, and how they were roughly equivalent in terms of income
and then they would just sort of clam up.

The worst part of Texas taxing districts is drawing them on a map. For
a map of areas affected by a certain tax program, I had to outline every
county, city and school tax district within the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
To make the information usable to end users, street-level detail was
needed. So every highway, artery, main road and cow path was required
to be drawn and labeled. I ended up with one of the most complex wall
maps ever made.

Ever since then, I have hated Texas.

 

I even had a county club that had the line going down the middle of the
dinning room. I understand it was a lot of fun at weddings making sure all
the principles were on the same side of the line.

 

I can understand why states want to collect taxes on goods sold to out
of state customers, but the idea of a state requiring a business to
collect a tax for ANOTHER state is just about the stupidest idea I have
heard come out of a politician's mouth, and THAT'S saying something!

Imagine trying to keep current a database that included every taxing
authority in the country!

 

The simple answer is for the seller to collect tax on out of state sales
exactly as he would for a walkin customer who lived in another city, or
county. He collects the tax relevant to HIS location, NOT that for the
buyer's location! Anything else is ludicrous.

 

Dumb. You think Texas is unique in that taxing aspect? You think an
income tax would CHANGE THAT? Nope, it would just be tacked onto the
top of what is already paid. Ask someone from ANY other state.

Face it, so much money is needed to provide the services you expect from
the state, and local governments. If you wish them to have less money,
then expect less in the way of service. Just how that money is obtained
matters little, as the government WILL find a way to get it. Frankly, I
don't need ANY new taxes, and will vote against ANY new tax, ESPECIALLY
an income tax.

 

Well, the funny thing is:

IF you pay too little tax, you owe your state the difference.

If you pay too much, too bad!

 

It also happens when you DO have a state income tax.

 

No, not always. No matter where you live in certain states, you won't
have any more than three taxing authorities to answer to. Some states,
you won't have any LESS that three.

Like I said, it's the same dollar amount in the end. But it seems to me
that a convoluted system of local barons fighting over some limited
scrap of your income is inefficient and somewhat insulting. I guess
that's the price you pay if your ideology demands "personal freedom"
from a well organized government.

 

That's a civil way of starting a conversation. "Dumb."

No wait, that's a dumb way of starting a conversation. "Pleased to meet
you, Stupid!"

Texas isn't unique in the fact it has the backward assumption that no
state tax is somehow better, like Washington state and other places that
charge you insane amounts to register your new vehicle.

How about my state, which taxes like a lot of states? You have, of
course, state and county property taxes, and city, if applicable. The
only income taxes you pay are state or city. My tax bill is about the
same as any other state at the end of the day - but I only have one form
and one major taxing authority to worry about.

Now, if I lived in SOME states without a centralized method for
collecting revenue, I would have to calculate state property taxes
(maybe even on my car, computers, TVs and other items), county taxes,
school district taxes, fire district taxes, special economic zone
taxes...

Geez, no wonder people from certain states are so opposed to taxes...

So, let me get this straight... a convoluted and backwards tax style
that has different taxing authorities is preferred to a centralized
system that is easier to understand and comply with? So a larger amount
of local government is preferable to a smaller amount of centralized
government? Whatever floats your red state boat, bud...

In any case, my reasons for hating Texas are completely spurious. After
all, I HAD TO DRAW ALL THE DAMNED LINES!

 

Yes, after you have made a statement like you did.

Washington state has an income tax, tacked onto all the other taxes.

In the end, the taxes will still have to be paid, regardless of the form
of the tax.

Sorry, but those states ALSO have all the other taxes, in addition to
the income tax.

Ahhh, now we see the root of your problem, your guy lost the election,
and you are bitter. That helps.
Perhaps you would be happier in the Socialist Commonwealth of Mass.

Awwwww, poor baby! You had to do the job for which you were hired, and
PAID. My heart bleeds purple piss for you.