The very idea behind COAST, and we would hope the GOP, is to reduce the size and scope of government where ever possible.
Just like the liberals who "never waste a good crisis," conservatives, libertarians should move with the waves of the political ocean and the dynamism of the marketplace, accepting and seizing opportunities for advances when they arise.
One of those opportunities is the quirk of federal jurisprudence that allows avoidance of sales taxes on internet purchases. By not closing this "loophole," we slowly reduce the percentage of purchases subject to sales tax, and thus "starve the beast" a little more, year after year. And it requires of us ... to do nothing at all.
So, we oppose legislation making it easier for states to tax internet sales.
Today's Washington Post sees it differently. Read it here.
I hope this post is an April Fools Day joke. It doesn't present one coherent reason why some businesses should get away with paying no taxes, while all the businesses down the street have to pay the full tax. It's an unfair disadvantage against businesses with a physical presence.
ReplyDeleteThe coherent reason is that it is a simple, creative way to reduce the size of government in a politically palatable way.
ReplyDeleteNo vote, no action of any sort is required. The size of government just naturally shrinks over time, and conservative mission thus is accomplished. It's a beautiful thing.
Using that rationale, COAST would support eliminating taxes entirely for everyone whose last names begin with A and M. After all, it "reduces revenue" and in theory reduces the size of government.
ReplyDeleteI would hope for a more thoughtful approach than arbitrarily eliminating taxes for some while everyone else has to pay.
You just ignored the "politically palatable" part entirely, didn't you.
ReplyDeleteHere's a novel idea. Instead of raising the taxes of online businesses to bring them into line with the taxes paid by other businesses, how about we lower the taxes of businesses with a physical presence to bring them more in line with online businesses. Why is the answer always a tax hike? COAST, you're right about this one.
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