Amazon to collect New Jersey sales tax

Ben Ruset

Administrator
Site Administrator
Oct 12, 2004
7,619
1,878
Monmouth County
www.benruset.com
To be fair, you're supposed to pay sales tax on stuff that you buy from them regardless. I'm happy to see a business actually want to come in and set up shop in NJ.

Amazon is generally cheaper than any place else, even factoring in the 7% sales tax.
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
Thank the Fat Guy:mad:

Most, if not all businesses, that have a presence in NJ charge sales tax on web based or phone orders. Nothing new at all. And as Ben said, if they don't, a NJ resident making a purchase is required to report it on their NJ tax return. I wonder what percentage actually does that? ;)
 

Ben Ruset

Administrator
Site Administrator
Oct 12, 2004
7,619
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Monmouth County
www.benruset.com
Yea Ok Like you Guys report every thing you every bought on the The Internet and the State of Delaware ??

I'm not saying I have, but this was sort of a free ride that went on for a while and now it's over. And, in the process of being over, it brings jobs and tax revenue to a state that really needs it. Paying an extra 7% on a book I can't find cheaper anywhere seems fine to me since it contributes to the greater good.
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
To me, paying tax on purchases from business with a NJ presence makes perfect sense. Paying tax for purchase from a business without that presence does not. If it did, then shouldn't a person that buys something at a store in PA or NY, also be required to pay the sales tax for NJ? The question is, for those businesses without a NJ presence, where does the transaction and exchange of monies actually take place? It's not within NJ.
 

Boyd

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Staff member
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Jul 31, 2004
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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
It's funny how people hate WalMart and love Amazon. But at least WalMart pays taxes and hires people from the community. Amazon gets a 7% advantage, doesn't pay any local taxes and doesn't hire your neighbors. I think it's great that they will now be hiring people in NJ and paying tax. Thanks, Fat Guy. :D

I find it really sad that we can't even support real bookstores here anymore - the nearest Barnes and Noble is 40 miles from me now that Borders and Atlantic Books are gone. And think of all the other businesses that are gone like CompUSA, Circuit City. Best Buy is now struggling, closing stores and will move others to smaller buildings. In a tough retail environment, it is hard to compete against a 7% price advantage.
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
5,054
3,327
Pestletown, N.J.
It is not just the 7% price advantage that the internet stores have over a brick and mortar store, it's the convenience that they offer.
If I know what I want and I want it quick, I order it online. No need to drive from the pines into suburbia and fight through a sea of blabbing soccer moms in a mall parking lot to buy something.

I do try to support local merchants instead of the chains with a lot of my hunting and shooting supplies. I have lived here 29 years and have bought almost all of my guns and my kids' guns at Atco Sports. They are coming up on fifty years in business as a literal mom and pop on Atco Avenue and it has been a pleasure patronizing them all of these years.
 

Old Crazy

Explorer
Oct 13, 2007
481
94
Stinking Creek, NJ
In the early 60's the state of NJ had no sales tax, no state income tax, low property taxes and low business taxes. And the state collected no revenues from the lottery or the casinos, and very little from the sale of tobacco. Today NJ is one of the highest taxed states in the country because today's state government is much bigger and much more involved in our lives than it was in the 1960's. NJ isn't deeply in debt because it isn't collecting enough tax revenue, we're in debt because we have become a nanny state that spends too much money.
 
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46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
In the early 60's the state of NJ had no sales tax, no state income tax, low property taxes and low business taxes. And the state collected no revenues from the lottery or the casinos, and very little from the sale of tobacco. Today NJ is one of the highest taxed states in the country because today's state government is much bigger and much more involved in our lives than it was in the 1960's. NJ isn't deeply in debt because it isn't collecting enough tax revenue, we're in debt because we have become a nanny state that spends too much money.

Exactly. Besides driving shoppers elsewhere, those taxes are also driving out businesses. But you cannot blame the loss of the businesses Boyd mentioned on just NJ sales tax, a whole lot of other factors went into their demise.

I do not do my shopping to support the state via its sales tax, there is no benefit to my family to do so. I do shop private, local businees in 3.5% sales tax UEZ areas when I can; but for big ticket items, family first.
 
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