If you’re supposed to pay a tax and you don’t, is it a tax increase when the state forces you to pay the tax you owe? To hear one Senator argue the point, it is.
At issue is a bill setting up a system to collect Missouri sales taxes on items bought and sold through the internet, or from out-of-state catalogues or out-of-state stores Sponsors say brick and mortar retailers are at a disadvantage because they have to collect sales taxes but internet merchants don’t.
Senator Jason Crowell of Cape Girardeau, who says he buys a lot of things on the internet and never pays taxes on them, argues with Senator Gary Nodler of Joplin that the bill requiring him to pay sales taxes would be a tax increase. Crowell and Nodler argue :26 mp3
The bill does not establish any new taxes. But it does set up a mechanism for the state to collect state sales taxes that sponsors say people should be paying.
The sponsor of the bill says Missouri loses 160-million dollars a year because people like Crowell buy things on the internet and don’t pay sales taxes on them.
The senate plans more debate on the bill later.
Listen to the debate on the bill :55:46 mp3
