Internet Sales Tax: Ron Johnson Votes NO

The U.S. Senate just voted to increase taxes, not on the wealthy but on anyone shopping on the Internet.

From USA Today:

The Senate passed a bill Monday night aimed at making it easier for states to collect sales taxes for online purchases, its final prospects uncertain.

But small online retailers are already thinking about the bill's impact on their operations.

...The bill, which passed the Senate 69-27, now heads to the House, where it faces an uncertain future because some Republicans view it as a tax increase. President Obama has said he supports the bill.

The act would overturn decades-long precedent and leave many small online sellers with the task of figuring out how to manage collecting and remitting sales tax to nearly every state.

The argument that brick and mortar stores are at a disadvantage because they're forced to tax their consumers is stupid.

It should be noted that major discount and department stores already tax online purchases.

Internet operations are at a dramatic disadvantage because they have to charge for shipping and handling, something non-online stores don't do.

I shop online when I can get free shipping. I refuse to pay shipping. I wait for free shipping-no minimum offers. The only time I would buy online and pay for shipping is in the rare case that I can't get the product from any other source.

I prefer to see and closely examine exactly what I'm buying. That means I'm more likely to buy at the brick and mortar places.

Another hassle that comes with buying online is returning merchandise. There is probably additional shipping costs if a product has to be returned to an online site.

This notion that the Senate is leveling the playing field by voting for this tax increase is BS.

I'm proud that my senator, Ron Johnson, voted the right way again. He was one of only 24 senators voting against increasing my taxes.

Thank you, Sen. Johnson.

Tammy Baldwin voted to increase your taxes, like a good little Leftist.

It's no surprise that Obama supports this tax increase.

Back on September 12, 2008, Barack Obama was in Dover, New Hampshire, on the campaign trail.

He was talking taxes and he made a promise, a "firm pledge."

BARACK OBAMA: And I can make a firm pledge: under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase - not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.

"Not any of your taxes."

What a liar!