I buy a lot of things on Amazon.com. I buy more things using their iPhone app than most people buy period. Right after ordering some baby gear today I thought about the whole online sales tax issue. Given that I live in California, I have paid the use tax that is on the California state tax form where you’re supposed to declare the value of tax-free, out-of-state purchases that you have made. Most people probably don’t fill this portion out. And who knows whether one gets it right.
But should one have to pay this sales tax?
The thinking for has always been that the state is losing revenue that it needs to pay for services, etc. Which I understand. But the thought I had today was how much I avoid shopping at stores like Babys R Us because I drive all that way, burning fossil fuels, adding greenhouse gases into the air, using up city streets, state highways and interstates all to find a store which doesn’t have what I am looking for. So if I don’t make that journey, aren’t I saving the various forms of government hard and soft costs to deal with that added strain I place on the infrastructure and environment?
But what about the “cardboard commerce” and all of its overhead? Well, cardboard is supposedly one of the most recycled and re-used materials, so perhaps it’s not as much of a cost as the plastic bags that many of these stores add to the world. What about the transportation infrastructure? Well, properly used, I would imagine that a UPS truck delivering all of these packages is like commuters using a train or bus – better than individual cars. Plus, as with most transportation fleets these days like taxis, buses, etc. they are more likely to use non-gasoline alternatives.
So perhaps the savings to the infrastructure and environment mean that I am decreasing my burden on the governments around me and thus perhaps I don’t need to pay as much of the taxes for those goods I am getting in a slightly better, more efficient way.
I don’t know the numbers. Your thoughts?
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