Colorado Is Seeking an “Amazon Tax” of Its Own (updated March 8, 2010)

I wrote just a couple of days ago that it feels like an almost every day phenomenon that yet another state is introducing “Amazon Tax” legislation to broaden nexus net and thus e-commerce sales and use tax revenues. Now Colorado is joining the list, perhaps motivated in part by its $1.6 billion budget shortfall. H.B. [...]

All’s not quiet in Aspen

It’s hard to make ends meet today and even the rich (well, house-rich) try to make an extra buck when they can renting out their vacation (or first, second, or third) homes. But localities are having just as much trouble making ends meet, so they’re on the offensive searching for unreported tax revenues. The Finance [...]

Colorado’s Tax Filing Vendor Discount: Your Questions, Answered

I’ve received several questions about the Colorado Department of Revenue’s recent (and rather un-cool) stoppage of its vendor discount program for monthly filers which, prior to July 1st 2009, provided for a 1.35% discount for timely filings of sales taxes. Is that it? Is this cut going to last forever? Yep, afraid so. That’s it, [...]

Fiscal 2010 Looking Ugly

As discussed in an April Sales Tax Buzz post, sales tax receipts generally outpace income taxes as the primary food source for state budgets. Noting the dismal Q2 receipts that came off a disastrous Q1 2009, while considering that June closes the fiscal year in a majority of states, fiscal 2010 does not look pretty [...]

Sales Tax Receipts Show Worst Decline in Half a Century

Sales tax receipts make up one of the best indicators of how a consumer-driven economy is faring. We’re not faring well. And sales tax receipts are the primary source, outpacing income tax, for the majority of state budgets. Based on the numbers you’re about to read, you can easily understand why so many state budgets [...]

Today, a rather sardonic word from a guest blogger

This one was sent to me by “Maximus Leader, Esquire,” who is hoping to become a Sales Tax Buzz guest blogger. I’ve received numerous emails from him and although he wants to keep his corporate affiliation private, I will share that he handles sales tax compliance for a medium-sized company. He works on the East [...]

Digital Downloads Sales & Use Tax Cheat Sheet, circa early 2009

No matter how I try to slice or dice this topic, this one just isn’t easy. What was once tangible has become, or can be, intangible tomorrow, if it’s not already so today. The issues of nexus, taxability, and others keep shifting in the virtual world. In fact, just minutes after this post was published, [...]