Copyright 1999 Times Mirror Company
Los Angeles
Times
December 1, 1999, Wednesday, Orange County
Edition
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 14; Metro Desk
LENGTH: 217 words
HEADLINE: AN
INTERNET LOSS FOR MERCHANTS
BODY:
In Orange County
Voices ("Internet Tax Freedom Act Proves a Successful Start-Up," Oct. 31), Rep.
Christopher Cox proudly points to his advocacy of the Internet
Tax Freedom Act, which allows in Internet
commerce the privilege of not paying sales taxes to those
communities in which purchasers reside.
Cox says that the naysayers of
this program have been proven wrong, that tax collections in
California were up 8.8% from last year, and the board which collects
sales taxes endorsed a permanent ban on Internet sales
tax.
I have recently taken advantage of this concession in the
purchase of an expensive VCR and video camera. I would have bought this from a
local supplier, but the almost 8% savings was too much to resist.
Cox
says that Internet transactions amount to less than one-eighth
of 1% of sales and use tax collections. That's
the reason, of course, that it has not yet affected local commerce.
To
call this the Tax Freedom Act is a gross mistake; it is, really, a punishment
for those who would rather feel and try an item before buying it.
Oh, of
course we can accomplish this by shopping the stores, picking the item, then
going to the Internet when we have made up our minds.
I'm glad I'm not
the proprietor of one of those stores.
WILFRED COUZIN
Laguna
Niguel
LOAD-DATE: December 1, 1999
