Shanu Singh Guliani

If E-Retailers Have to Collect Sales Tax—You Really Think Those Customers are Going to Come Running Back to Brick and Mortars?
July 31, 2007

If I was at the JA New York Summer Show on Sunday I wouldn’t be applauding Charles B. Rangel as others did when he opened regarding industry issues such as the taxation of online retailers. Really I could care less if ecommerce sites had to impose sales tax on their customers.

“Representative Rangel, who JA has been lobbying on, is proposing a bill to allow individual states to impose sales taxes on e-commerce sales to their residents”, Modern Jeweler.

Why are independents so scared of online retailers? By the bill being passed do independents really think having online retailers collecting sales tax will deter sales and customers will instead seek brick and mortars?

This is ridiculous—it’s evitable—this is where the world is heading. You can buy everything online from the most expensive car to a stick of gum and technology is only getting better. People want to be able to purchase items from the comfort of their own home (the tax might come into play but that’s only a small percentage of the sale when it you can already afford a $412,000 diamond)…people work longer hours and it’s harder to get out of the house to go shopping plus who wants to fight with all the traffic, lack of parking, and herds of frantic people.

Instead of thinking online retailers are taking our sales—maybe we should all learn from this and create our own ecommerce sites—then use the not collecting sale tax as a sales advantage like the smarty pants that already have sites!

On a more serious note—after reading this many of us need to locate a web designer and get moving on our own ecommerce sites. Researching the top online retailers should help you to get off to a good start.

Posted by Shanu Singh Guliani on July 31, 2007 | Comments (1)