States Still Looking to Tax Internet Sales

Fortunately for U.S. consumers, state taxes on Internet sales are still at least a year or two away. But notice how the issue is covered by the AP.

Across the country, more than $21 billion in sales tax is not being collected, according to a University of Tennessee study.

''Yes, we are losing money and a significant amount of money,'' said Loren Chumley, Tennessee Revenue Department commissioner.

So instead of stating how consumers benefit from increased purchasing power, the article focuses on "lost" revenue from the government. This is the way people in the bizarro world look at taxes (Ted Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, John Kerry,...). They believe that every dollar that remains in consumers' pockets is "lost" government revenue. Thankfully not everyone in Congress agrees with that attitude.