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> Sales tax is up to the states to sort out how to deal with on their own, and there's 50 of them. To add on for any else trying to figure out the 13k number f
by flutas 2y ago
> Sales tax is up to the states to sort out how to deal with on their own, and there's 50 of them.
To add on for any else trying to figure out the 13k number from this statement.
Counties can also apply their own additional taxes.
Cities can also apply their own additional taxes.
On top of just that, the cities and counties can set different taxes in the same area, such as a sugar tax or an alcohol tax or even a pre-prepared food tax vs groceries. It gets complicated fast.
- _zoltan_ 2y agoit can get really easy: just don't let this madness sprawl out of control? :) per state, I understand the tax. set it per state, and be done with it. maybe split it in some % with the city (I don't know if cities directly get a portion of it already or not?), so it's a win-win.
- ssl-3 2y agoMaybe that works. I have concerns about IP geolocation databases being able to pin me down to a particular state, but maybe. But even assuming "good enough" IP geolocation exists: In order for this to be implemented both uniformly and nationally, we'd need a new constitutional amendment that would grant the federal government the ability to regulate how sales taxes work within states. Because right now, we have this: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
- account42 2y agoThe federal government doesn't need to legislate sales tax, just require it to be included in the display price. For physical stores this is trivial. For online stores geolocation + manual override works well enough elsewhere. Number of sales tax jurisdictions is irrelevant - either companies deal with it like they deal in areas with many smaller countries or they lobby their local city / state to fix the mess.
- Mountain_Skies 2y agoSales tax in the Atlanta airport varies because the terminal crosses jurisdiction lines. Geolocation needs an exact location to get the tax correct, which means giving your exact location to every shopping site. Most people don't want to do that and already know what the tax rate at their home is so they already know what to expect at checkout.
- account42 2y agoThis is a very good argument FOR requiring that the tax must be included in the display price. Travelers going through ATL can't be expected to know the tax code for whatever gate they have been funneled to.
- anticensor 2y agoThen have the entire terminal a single tax jurisdiction, federal-taxes-only one. Or apply a front door rule like Baarle does.