Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam willing to take lead on Internet sales tax

[The Northerner]

NASHVILLE -- Gov. Bill Haslam said on Wednesday that untaxed Internet sales are eroding Tennessee's tax base and said he's willing to take a leadership role among governors in urging Congress to pass a national approach to collecting sales taxes on goods sold over the Internet.

He said Tennessee is already losing between $300 million and $500 million a year on untaxed Internet sales --- a growing number since the states and Congress have been unable for more than a decade to agree on a "streamlined sales tax" process enabling online retailers to collect taxes easily for the nation's thousands of state and local taxing jurisdictions.

"It's not going to begin eroding the state's tax base; it already is. Something has to happen nationally. The whole streamlined sales tax is a big deal, and I'm more than willing to play a leadership role," Haslam said. "It has to be addressed on a national level or we're going to keep playing these kinds of move-around games."

His remarks were part of a discussion with reporters about an advisory opinion issued by state Atty. Gen. Robert Cooper last week indicating the state legislature could enact a law requiring an online retailer with a physical presence in Tennessee to collect sales tax on items it sells to Tennessee residents and businesses.

Read more: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/jul/06/haslam-willing-take-lead-internet-sales-tax/

[Drale]

1. Honestly I would not mind paying sales tax on the internet

as long as that money went to the right place like to help the poor or to the school system.

[Fumesucker]

2. Interesting that they didn't identify what party Gov. Haslam belongs to..

In fact he is a Republican..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Haslam

I find it quite revealing that a Republican governor would be in favor of extending the most regressive form of taxation.

[indepat]

3. Doubt any Republican ever saw a regressive tax he/she didn't like: TN

is unwilling to ask its major league professional athletes, with incomes probably a 100 times or more the mean wage/salary in TN, to pay appreciably more in state taxes unless buying some of their luxury jewelry/accessories in TN. :patriot:

[Xithras]

4. Few Internet based businesses object to the idea of collecting sales tax.

They simply object to being forced to collect and pay sales tax to 50 different state governments and hundreds of additional local taxing authorities. If the states could work out a simple, straightforward taxation system...and be assured that EVERYONE would be paying in, most businesses would join without complaint.

[Shagbark Hickory]

5. Just what we need now. More pain for the consumer.