Re: TP755CE not in stock? - help locating suppliers ...

[Randal Whittle <whittle@chaph.usc.edu>]

> > Buying by mail order does not absolve the buyer from his obligation to pay
> > state and local sales tax on any such goods purchased. A few years ago an
> > attempt was made to require mail-order vendors to charge the appropriate
> > state and local taxes and remit to the states. The compromise that was
> > finally passed required any vendor with some kind of business presence in a
> > state to collect and remit state and local sales tax. Vendors without such
> > presence are not required to collect sales tax, although the buyer is still
> > required to pay it.
> 
> Can you cite a ruling?  Last I knew, the U.S. Constitution gave Congress 
> the sole power to regulate (and tax) interstate commerce. 

	What he's saying, Keith, is that technically you're supposed to
be a nice little boy and write a separate check to your home state for
the sales tax you didn't pay (yeah, right--like you'd actually DO that).

	But he's right.  I don't know of the ruling's formal case name
or number, but I do know that your home state *does* have the right to
demand that you pay them sales tax on purchases you make from out of
state--the only problem is that they have almost no way of knowing if
you bought stuff from out of state, hence the enforcement problem.

-----                                          ____________________________
Randy Whittle    whittle@usc.edu               |    Making South-Central  |
USC Graduate School of Business (Fight on 'SC!)|  L.A. a better place by  |
-Counselor, USC Business Expansion Network     | helping small businesses |
                                               |      help themselves.    |
                                               ----------------------------