Tax on music downloads

[xoxoxoBruce]

California, trying to cover budget shortfalls, are looking at new taxes.

Calderon said he was moved to push for levies on downloads such as iTunes because state sales tax laws do not reflect the high volume of purchasing that Californians do online. Consumers can download music from the Internet through Apple's iTunes and other services tax-free, Calderon noted, while they pay sales tax for buying the same music on a compact disc at a store.

His proposal would empower state authorities to collect sales tax on the downloads, increasing the cost of a typical 99-cent song to roughly $1.07. Calderon projects that the bill (AB 1956), which could also apply to pornography downloads, cellphone ring-tones, online books and feature films distributed on the Internet, would raise about $500 million for the state budget.

The idea stalled in committee this month in the face of fierce industry opposition. But like the other proposals, it could be revived at any time, most likely when legislative leaders hammer out a budget agreement this summer.

Of course far more important, the following proposal...

Calderon said the resistance to his bill did not surprise him. But he is perplexed that he hasn't been able to get more traction for another proposal: a 25% tax on sex toys, strip shows, pornographic magazines and videos and anything else sold in an "adult entertainment venue."

"This is a major industry that is putting a disproportionate burden on state services," he said. "Drugs are heavily used. The actors have a short life span. Some leave the industry drug-addicted with no skills. They wind up availing themselves of Medi-Cal and other state programs."

A coalition of porn stars, strippers and others in adult entertainment roamed the halls of the Capitol recently to lobby against the Calderon bill (AB 2914).

[TheMercenary]

The feds have looked at charging for email for a long time. I wouldn't put it past them.

[BrianR]

Define "adult entertainment venue". Could that go so far as the home in the case of phone sex? The mind boggles at California, again.

[Elspode]

I fail to understand what, exactly, entitles government to keep ripping hunks of money out of my ass. It isn't enough that the crooked fuckers are bleeding us dry with wars, energy prices and every other goddamn thing they can think of to channel money out of our pockets into the pockets of their political cronies. Ptui!

Anyone else ever feel like we're rapidly moving in oligarchical times? A new serfdom is ours.

[xoxoxoBruce]

When I become King, at least you'll know where your money is going.... and the tip mug would be full on the first of every month.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Elspode

I fail to understand what, exactly, entitles government to keep ripping hunks of money out of my ass. It isn't enough that the crooked fuckers are bleeding us dry with wars, energy prices and every other goddamn thing they can think of to channel money out of our pockets into the pockets of their political cronies. Ptui!

Anyone else ever feel like we're rapidly moving in oligarchical times? A new serfdom is ours.

Dude, when the Dems get the White House this fall, you ain't seen nothing yet.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Does anybody remember Clinton's surplus?

[tw]

As Warren Buffet so accurately said long ago, the only tax cut is one that cuts spending. What liars have called a tax cut was simply mortgaging the country to pay for a big party. Those massive price increases in gas, food, medicine, commodities education, precious metals, etc and the massive dollar drop are directly traceable to mythical tax cuts now that the first bills for "Mission Accomplished" are coming due. No mystery. Another lying president did this exact same thing during Nam. We all know how that got paid for – no jobs, diminished status of living, selling off most of America’s European assets, massive crime increases, and nobody over thirty could be trusted.

[Elspode]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Dude, when the Dems get the White House this fall, you ain't seen nothing yet.

The only difference between the Dems and the Repubs is whose pockets the cash gets directed to. Either way, we're bled dry.

[Radar]

Originally Posted by tw

As Warren Buffet so accurately said long ago, the only tax cut is one that cuts spending. What liars have called a tax cut was simply mortgaging the country to pay for a big party. Those massive price increases in gas, food, medicine, commodities education, precious metals, etc and the massive dollar drop are directly traceable to mythical tax cuts now that the first bills for "Mission Accomplished" are coming due. No mystery. Another lying president did this exact same thing during Nam. We all know how that got paid for – no jobs, diminished status of living, selling off most of America’s European assets, massive crime increases, and nobody over thirty could be trusted.

It's amazing how libertarian you guys are starting to sound.

If you cut spending, you don't need taxes to support those programs. All we've got to do is eliminate all parts of the federal government not enumerated in the Constitution and we can eliminate income based taxes all together.

My question to the numb nuts trying to tax internet sales is this...

Who owns the internet? It's not the United States. It's certainly not any one of those states. How do you tax someone for something that isn't yours to tax? It's like me trying to charge tw for a car from xoxoxo Bruce. I don't enter into the equation. I'm not an interested party.

Also, if the seller is in different state than the buyer, which state did the transaction occur in?

This is just another example of people in government overstepping their limited authority and assuming they have the authority to tax anything.