Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, September 23, 2011, 12:09 PM
Town Square
Brown signs bill that requires online retailers to pay state sales taxes
Original post made on Sep 23, 2011
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, September 23, 2011, 12:09 PM
Comments (11)
a resident of Pleasanton Heights
on Sep 23, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Good news. Soon online retailers will loose the edge they had over physical book store. How will the online retailers keep their winning ways.
What will be their next move?
Web Link
a resident of Val Vista
on Sep 27, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Parent of Two is a registered user.
Remarkable how short-sighted and dense our governor is. Does he really think that making the consumers pay 9% more for online sales will BRING BACK the retailers that have already died or that it will somehow spur the economy?
The only time you should impose a TAX on a purchase is if you're trying to discourage its usage (i.e. alcohol, tobacco, etc.). So what is Moonbeam trying to discourage now... reading?
Amazon (and other online retailers) won based on selection, convenience, and pricing. Maybe local businesses could compete cost-wise if we'd lower the minimum wage... This is merely another way to try and increase state coffers to pay for failed social programs.
a resident of Highland Oaks
on Sep 27, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Parent of Two,
"selection, convenience, and pricing"
Spot on.
Mike
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 27, 2011 at 9:35 pm
I must be missing something. Are you guys saying there shouldn't be sales taxes for anyone (except "i.e. alcohol, tobacco, etc."). Don't the same arguments apply to income and property taxes? Why should Barnes and Noble and Best Buy have to charge sales tax but Amazon not? I don't get the point here.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 27, 2011 at 10:37 pm
Partiot - I'd have to agree. While I enjoy the 10% discount of paying online, it hardly seems fair to give a company out of state a competitive advantage over those that exist in state and employee state workers.
The person mentions that Amazon wins in pricing - that is fairly easy when you have an immediate 10% lower rate than an in-state competition.
So let everyone compete on an even playing field. Amazon will be ok and maybe more people will buy local.
a resident of Parkside
on Sep 28, 2011 at 9:27 am
Since Amazon still has more purchasing power than smaller establishments, they can still undercut prices and provide more selection compared to other retailers. Size matters.
Additionally, if they continue to ship most items for free, they win the convenience factor as well.
Watch for a run on sales at Amazon prior to the Sept 2012 tax imposition. Short term, it'll be a big win for Amazon and consumers. Longer term, Amazon will still retain a large market share for the reasons stated above, despite the govts attempts at imposing 'fairness' to change a law they instituted in the first place.
a resident of Foothill High School
on Sep 28, 2011 at 9:46 am
To "Parent of Two". It seems to me that you are the one who is "short-sighted and dense". How is bringing revenue to this state bad?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 28, 2011 at 9:48 am
"despite the govts attempts at imposing 'fairness' to change a law they instituted in the first place."
Seems to me like the government screwed up in the first place by giving them the unfair advantage. Fixing that seems like the right thing to do. I don't get why Walmart or Target has to charge sales tax but Amazon doesn't.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Sep 28, 2011 at 10:54 am
Stacey is a registered user.
As you drive downtown, you don't see an Amazon sign anywhere in sight. You can't pop into the Amazon store next door when you make a grocery run on your way to pick up your kid from school. The idea of unfair advantages that online retailers have over brick and mortar stores is a mixed bag.
I haven't looked at the bill. I assume it is only for collecting sales tax on sales made by California affiliates of Amazon. Otherwise, how do they get around the nexus problem?
a resident of Ridgeview Commons
on Apr 25, 2017 at 2:31 pm
Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?
a resident of Ridgeview Commons
on Apr 27, 2017 at 12:26 am
Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?
Don't miss out
on the discussion!
Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic.
Post a comment
Stay informed.
Get the day's top headlines from PleasantonWeekly.com sent to your inbox in the Express newsletter.
Burning just one "old style" light bulb can cost $150 or more per year
By Sherry Listgarten | 10 comments | 2,418 views
Reflecting on lives this Thanksgiving Day
By Tim Hunt | 0 comments | 1,142 views
Premiere! “I Do I Don’t: How to build a better marriage” – Here, a page/weekday
By Chandrama Anderson | 2 comments | 881 views
Support local families in need
Your contribution to the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund will go directly to nonprofits supporting local families and children in need. Last year, Pleasanton Weekly readers contributed over $83,000 to support eight safety-net nonprofits right here in the Tri-Valley.