Download a song, pay a tax? Minnesota legislator's plan faces f...

I agree that digital items should be taxed, We all pay sales tax on what we buy and it helps support the cities and towns we love. As long as these digital items stay untaxed we are helping support other cities and countries by allowing them to make more profits. Tax them and keep the profits local, or at least in the same state.

The DFL cannot wait to raise taxes.

already over-taxed wrote:

I agree that digital items should be taxed, We all pay sales tax on what we buy and it helps support the cities and towns we love. As long as these digital items stay untaxed we are helping support other cities and countries by allowing them to make more profits. Tax them and keep the profits local, or at least in the same state.

If I'm understanding the article correctly, digital downloads from companies out of state would not be taxed since those out of state companies would not be required to charge the tax for Minnesota.

So all I see this doing is sending people to out of state vendors. I don't see how this helps our local economy.

already over-taxed wrote:

I agree that digital items should be taxed, We all pay sales tax on what we buy and it helps support the cities and towns we love. As long as these digital items stay untaxed we are helping support other cities and countries by allowing them to make more profits. Tax them and keep the profits local, or at least in the same state.

Spoken like a good Democrat.

Sarah D wrote:

<quoted text>
If I'm understanding the article correctly, digital downloads from companies out of state would not be taxed since those out of state companies would not be required to charge the tax for Minnesota.
So all I see this doing is sending people to out of state vendors. I don't see how this helps our local economy.

Excellent point. I've been doing that for years. Amazon sells with free shipping and no sales tax except for companies with stores in Minnesota. So I avoid buying from companies with stores in Minnesota.
Saved $hundreds, maybe more. My wife and kids and their families shop locally, so no guilt here.

If you buy downloadable software online, and the transaction occurs via Digital River (so this includes Microsoft downloads, Symantec downloads, etc.), you already pay sales tax. I can show you my receipts to prove it. And yes...this is on a downloadable digital item. I've also bought ebooks and downloadable music through Digital River and have also been taxed. So I'm very confused as it seems like if you're a MN consumer and you buy a downloadable item from a MN company (Digital River is in Eden Prairie), you already are paying the sales tax. So what is the bill for?

And if you believe that last part of the article, that taxing the now-exempt items is going to lower the sales tax because they'll be taxing more items, I have some ocean front property for sale here in MN. Once they get more revenue coming in, they're going to find more ways to spend it (can we say - their salaries?) and they aren't going to lower the sales tax. I do a lot of shopping online for things I can't find in local stores, and most of what I buy online isn't taxed in MN anyway (clothing, fabric, notions, patterns, etc). So taxing my online purchases isn't going to put any more money in the tax coffers unless they start taxing those items in bricks-and-mortar stores too (give them time, they'll be doing that too). Tax & spend seems to be the operative mentality of any/all government, and the more money they have coming in, the more ways they'll find to spend it; that extra money isn't going to fund already existent programs, it will go to fund more pork that can be lived without.

We either have to find ways of taxing those alternative purchases or find some other way to collect the revenue that we need for schools, nursing homes, higher ed, public safety and other vital services."

his goal and that of many leading tax policymakers is to extend the sales tax to many currently exempt goods and services, then to lower the tax rate. That, he said, would make the tax fairer and give the state a much more stable revenue source.

Here we go, tried and true SCARE TACTICS. The children and the old people will suffer if we don't raise taxes...
And then the biggest LIE of all. Tax more stuff and LOWER taxes...Ah Hahahaha....THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
Davnie must think we're all idiots. It doesn't take a genious to see through this.
GET IT THROUGH YOU'RE THICK F&&&ING HEADS.
NO MORE TAXES

simple. move companies to iowa, and when you want to down load take a trip across the border, download then come home. someone needs to shove something up the legislations ass so they can feel what its like to be taxed to death, Im so tired of being screwed over by our goverment, Seriously thinkinh of moving to a diffrent state.

You are an IDIOT and let me guess you think obama walks on water also

Where is it written that every transaction needs to be taxed? Perhaps a tax on every word out of a politicians mouth?

Necessities should be taxed. That's why we were brought into the world anyway. Every time we wipe our butts..........we pay!

Toilet tissue. Why are we paying a tax on it? Doesn't make sense to me.

Someone, preferably one of the spendthrift lib posters, tell me when the last time the sales tax has been lowered? Both parties of power have always found a way to get deeper into our pockets and ANYONE who believes the sales tax rate will be reduced as more items are taxed has some form of dain bramage.

I won't buy it if it gets taxed. Screw the taxes, screw the public programs for the lazy ....like welfare, screw the legislatures 75.00 per lunch allowance, let's just tax the crap out of everything instead of making some common sense decisions. Oh yeah thats right....Yes we did... Good job bleeding heart DFL'rs.

Has the DFL ever seen a tax it didn't like? They had best start learning that as individuals, we are required to tighten our belts when times get tough. So, what does the DFL want to do? It wants more taxes on those who are already suffering in this economy. Perhaps, they should be listening to the people for a change.

Still want a professional sports TAX!!!!

My elected representatives vote for this and their political career is OVER.

Well they cant tax you for thinking about downloading, yet!

You want to increase piracy, this is how to do it.

Kevin G wrote:

Someone, preferably one of the spendthrift lib posters, tell me when the last time the sales tax has been lowered? Both parties of power have always found a way to get deeper into our pockets and ANYONE who believes the sales tax rate will be reduced as more items are taxed has some form of dain bramage.

The downtown Mpls sales tax did drop five or so years ago after the Dome was paid off. And I was absolutely shocked that the idiot mayor of Mpls and the city council didn't quietly find a way to keep the tax and dedicate to some other wasteful project (like artist designed drinking fountains).