General Discussion

DetlefK

(16,423 posts) Wed Jun 28, 2017, 11:49 AM Jun 2017

Trump just bashed Amazon for not paying a tax that doesn't exist.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/trump-unleashes-his-most-confusing-tweet-since-covfefe-during-twitter-meltdown-over-fake-news/

“The #AmazonWashingtonPost, sometimes referred to as the guardian of Amazon not paying internet taxes (which they should) is FAKE NEWS!” he tweeted.

Trump’s tweet is confusing as “internet taxes” do not exist. The president may be referring to Amazon’s years-long fight against paying state sales taxes. But Amazon lost that battle, and recently has been adding states where it does pay sales tax.

Amazon now pays sales tax in all 45 states that have a sales tax. On April 1, Amazon began collecting sales taxes in Hawaii, Idaho, Maine and New Mexico, the last four holdouts. Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon do not have a state sales tax.

If Trump was, in fact, referring to sales tax in his tweet, the tweet is fake news.

9 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Trump just bashed Amazon for not paying a tax that doesn't exist. (Original Post) DetlefK Jun 2017 OP

Trump is an idiot C_U_L8R Jun 2017 #1

he's a dangerous fool. he can do serious damage to a business by throwing out this shit spanone Jun 2017 #2

I reckon Amazon is paying the state sales tax. yallerdawg Jun 2017 #3

Does he pay taxes? HipChick Jun 2017 #4

well, i bet he's an expert on not paying taxes.... spanone Jun 2017 #8

As the Founding Fathers said underpants Jun 2017 #5

Trump was fact checked by Moody's Analytics economist Adam Ozimek on this same claim 8 months ago, populistdriven Jun 2017 #6

We don't have an online sales tax madokie Jun 2017 #7

The moron is seriously lacking any real business savvy BSdetect Jun 2017 #9

C_U_L8R

(45,021 posts)

1. Trump is an idiot

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Wed Jun 28, 2017, 11:52 AM

Jun 2017

with bad intent.

spanone

(135,886 posts)

2. he's a dangerous fool. he can do serious damage to a business by throwing out this shit

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Wed Jun 28, 2017, 11:56 AM

Jun 2017

yallerdawg

(16,104 posts)

3. I reckon Amazon is paying the state sales tax.

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Wed Jun 28, 2017, 12:05 PM

Jun 2017

They're damn sure charging me for it!

So are the "home shopping networks."

"Free shipping" makes up for it!

And it beats the local 10% sales tax on EVERY purchase (except motor oil). On top of state income tax.

So, yeah - when they "block grant Medicaid" and suggest the states pick up the balance, you know the citizens of Alabama will be more than happy to pony up some more taxes!

HipChick

(25,485 posts)

4. Does he pay taxes?

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Wed Jun 28, 2017, 12:13 PM

Jun 2017

oh yeah..never got to see those tax returns..

spanone

(135,886 posts)

8. well, i bet he's an expert on not paying taxes....

Reply to HipChick (Reply #4)

Wed Jun 28, 2017, 12:47 PM

Jun 2017

underpants

(182,910 posts)

5. As the Founding Fathers said

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Wed Jun 28, 2017, 12:38 PM

Jun 2017

populistdriven

(5,644 posts)

6. Trump was fact checked by Moody's Analytics economist Adam Ozimek on this same claim 8 months ago,

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Wed Jun 28, 2017, 12:46 PM

Jun 2017

and found to be incorrect and therefore he is lying, surprise! In the 8 months since this article was written, Amazon has updated their list from 29 states to 46 states where sales taxes are collected.

(Adam's bio states he can be reached at adam dot r dot ozimek at gmail dot com.)

Source
Forbes: Sorry Mr. Trump, But Amazon Is Paying Taxes

"Fact checking Donald Trump is a bit of a fish in a barrel exercise, but I saw yet another error recently that I thought would be useful to correct since I think it’s a misperception other share: Amazon pays taxes.

Here, from Sopan Deb, is Trump’s complaint:

… Amazon, which though its ownership, controls the Washington Post should be paying massive taxes but it’s not paying, and it’s a very unfair playing field and you see what that’s happening and what that’s doing to department stores all over the country. Very, very unfair. And you’re talking about billions and billions of dollars. They should be paying those taxes...

However, there are two important facts here that Trump misses. The first is that due to their expanding physical footprint and changes in state tax laws, in most places Amazon is actually collecting sales taxes. You can find the list of states here.

These 29 states contain 84% of the U.S. population. When you include the states that don’t charge any sales tax, that means for 87% of the U.S. Amazon is paying sales taxes."

madokie

(51,076 posts)

7. We don't have an online sales tax

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Wed Jun 28, 2017, 12:46 PM

Jun 2017

here in oklahoma as of yet.

Governor mattress mary is wanting one since she pushed through a huge ass tax cut a couple three years ago that benefited the rich and now our state in in dire straits so it won't be long until we do have an online sales tax here.

BSdetect

(8,999 posts)

9. The moron is seriously lacking any real business savvy

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Wed Jun 28, 2017, 12:53 PM

Jun 2017

Reply to this discussion