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 [...]

Amazon, Amazon, Amazon! And Blue Nile . . . and Now Overstock!

June 30, 2009: Seattle *** Updated July 1, 2009 *** ***Updated July 29, 2009*** see below Amazon Pulls the Plug on Hawaii, Rhode Island Affiliates, Strengthening Its Stance for a More Cohesive Internet Tax Scheme What started with a pull out from its online affiliate system in North Carolina, Amazon.com has now cut ties with [...]

Want to Cash In On Your State’s Amnesty Program?

** This post has been modified from its May 4th version (which focused on amnesty in New Jersey) ** The flurry of page views to this blog and dollars received in New Jersey in response to its latest sales tax amnesty program was so extreme that I decided to re-write that original post to update [...]

SST Aloha On the Way? And a Full Welcome to the SST, Wisconsin!

There’s been some movement in the Hawaiian legislature towards SST conformity as of late, most notably S.B. 1678 was passed anew on May 7th, aimed at conforming excise tax laws there with the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement. The state legislature responded to advice received from SST Governing Board and the Council on State [...]

Online Sales Tax Roundup: Internet Cowboys & Cowgirls, Open Your Eyes

UPDATED APRIL 14, 2009 It is my firmly held belief that as one state after another (no matter the size or perceived “importance” of any particular state) will possibly be able to pass Internet sales tax legislation, others are more likely to follow suit. Early adopters can pave the way towards the future in this [...]

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, [...]