Internet sales tax scofflaws cheat California

[joeblow]

Thumbs down for the writer of the article not the people who are accused of doing this nefarious thing. Read the comments linked below ... 99% attack the columnist mercilessly.

Internet sales tax scofflaws cheat state

MICHAEL HILTZIK

On this glorious day before Christmas, I have a message for all you sales tax scofflaws out there: Pay up.

This means you. You, who bought your big-screen TV online from Amazon.com instead of at Best Buy and your fleece-lined parka from L.L. Bean instead of Eddie Bauer because Amazon and Bean don't charge you sales tax and the others do.

Guess what. You owe it anyway. Skipping out on the sales tax due on online purchases is the single biggest category of "noncompliance" with California sales tax law, according to the state Board of Equalization, accounting for nearly 30% of all unpaid tax.

The board estimated lost revenue at $1.1 billion annually. To put that figure in perspective, it would pay the salaries of more than 15,000 California schoolteachers for a full year. And it may be conservative, given the explosion of Internet commerce in recent years.

Tax experts say there are two main reasons a huge volume of online sales don't get taxed. One is that most individual taxpayers aren't aware that it's owed. (If you've read this far, you no longer have that excuse. Sorry.)

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http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-h ... 418.column


42 very angry comments ...

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-h ... all.column