Tag Archives: online sales taxes

Polls: Yes to Taxes; Top D.C. Priority?

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A simple yes/no question generated a large response in the latest informal Indiana Chamber poll.

We asked: Should online retailers (on a national basis) be required to collect sales taxes? Your responses: 61% yes, 39% no.

It’s a complicated topic. As we’ve shared earlier, the Chamber’s Bill Waltz has written an excellent analysis that identifies some of the key issues as a national solution (not a state-by-state approach) is required.

Coming off the Chamber’s annual D.C. Fly-in, our new question asks: What is your top priority for Washington policy leaders to accomplish? The choices include reform tax code, debt reduction, less intrusive federal regulations, long-term transportation bill and other (you tell us).

Check out the top right column of this page to register your vote.

Kill Quill, Vol. 1: Time to Update Court Ruling for 2011

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If it seems as if we’ve been reading and hearing about sales taxes for online purchases for as long as the Internet has been around, that’s because it’s probably true. The Supreme Court decision that still reigns, in fact, was decided 19 years ago.

Quill dealt with mail order purchases at the time. It brought about the terms "physical presence" and "nexus" that still apply today in a dramatically different landscape. Add in interstate commerce implications, state budget shortfalls, the Main Street Fairness Act, Streamlined Sales and Use Tax project and much more and you have one confusing situation.

Chamber colleague and tax/finance expert Bill Waltz unravels some of the mystery, explaining the many components and what makes sense logically moving forward. Check out Bill’s analysis for a full understanding of an important business/government/consumer issue that requires a well thought out solution.