Copyright 2000 The Houston Chronicle Publishing Company
The Houston Chronicle
March 13, 2000, Monday 3 STAR EDITION
SECTION: A; Pg. 17 MetFront
LENGTH: 578 words
HEADLINE:
Most back Web taxes, poll shows ;
Many Texans say it's fair that all pay
SOURCE: Staff
BYLINE: JENNIFER
MONTGOMERY
BODY:
Most Texans think consumers should
have to pay the same sales tax on purchases made over the
Internet as they would on purchases made at a local store, the
latest Texas Poll suggests.
Of 1,000 Texans surveyed last month, 54
percent said sales taxes should apply to
Internet purchases, compared to 32 percent who didn't and 14
percent who didn't know.
The strongest support for the sales
tax came from people who don't use the Internet: 60
percent of those unconnected thought online shoppers should pay sales
taxes like they do. Internet users were almost evenly
split: 46 percent supported taxing Internet sales vs. 45
percent against, with a 4.5 percent margin of error.
Under Texas'
current laws, shoppers must pay taxes on all purchases they make when they are
in Texas - at least 6.25 percent - even if they order online or by catalog.
Retailers, however, don't have to collect those taxes themselves unless they
have a physical presence, such as an office or store, in Texas.
Many
consumers don't realize they are required to pay even if the retailer doesn't
collect, and few who do know go to the trouble of sending in their taxes.
The Texas Comptroller's Office estimates that the state loses $ 50
million a year in taxes on Internet purchases when it counts the taxes that
Texas' online shoppers dodge as well as taxes that Texas companies don't have to
collect from online shoppers in other states.
As e-commerce grows,
lawmakers in Texas and across the nation are becoming more interested in the
question of collecting sales tax on Internet
transactions. Last month it was a much-debated topic when Texas' Advisory
Council on the Digital Economy met in Austin for the first time.
Among
other findings by the Scripps Howard Texas Poll:
Texans between the ages
of 40 and 49 are most likely to have computers - 71 percent - while only 57
percent of those between 18 and 29 own them.
While 57 percent of Texans
have access to the Internet at home, work or elsewhere, only 49 percent actually
use it.
Among those who use the Internet, 31 percent spend five to 10
hours a week online, compared with 16 percent just four years ago. Another 23
percent spend more than 10 hours online, compared with 10 percent four years
ago.
Only one in 14 Internet users frequently shops online. Nearly three
out of four send and read e-mail frequently, and half often do research on the
Internet.
. . . .
Texas Poll: Texans and computers
In
Texas, 56 percent of households have home computers, up from 41 percent less
than five years ago. Sixteen years ago, only 14 percent had personal computers.
1,000 Texans were asked: Do you have a personal computer in your
household?
Total
Yes 56 %.
No 44 %.
The Winter
2000 Texas Poll was conducted Feb. 9-25 by the Scripps Howard Data Center. One
thousand adult Texans were surveyed by telephone. The margin of error for the
whole sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points. Responses have been rounded
to the nearest whole number.
<PRE> Age Yes No.
18-29 57 43.
30-39 66 33.
40-49 71 29.
50-59 65
35.
60 and older 36 64.
Race Yes No.
Hispanic 45
55.
Anglo 61 39.
Black 32 68.
Gender Yes No.
Male 62 38.
Female 52 48.
Income Yes No.
Less than $ 10,000 20 80.
$ 10,001-$ 20,000 35 65.
$
20,001-$ 30,000 43-55.
$ 30,001-$ 40,000 57 43.
$ 40,001-$
50,000 65 35.
$ 50,001-$ 60,000 74 25.
$ 60,001- and above 83
17.
GRAPHIC: Graph: Texas Poll: Texans and
computers (text); Court Smith / Chronicle
LOAD-DATE:
March 20, 2000 
