Tax stupidity II

The other day, we noted the dumb letter from B. J. Brockett of Oklahoma City. Normally, we wouldn't see some fatuous logic presented in a state's major newspaper, but the Oklahoman is no ordinary paper, and letters that push their plutocratic agenda get published, no matter how stupid.

We see that again today with another anti-tax letter (nice propagandistic title, editors: "Taxing online sales doesn't make sense") by Don Walkup of Oklahoma City. He argues that

Taxing online sales by one state on purchases made in another state doesn't make sense. Sales taxes have always been paid by the buyer indirectly through the seller. If I travel to Texas and make a purchase, I pay sales tax to Texas (the location of seller). If I make an online purchase from the same seller in Texas, why should I have to pay sales tax to Oklahoma since the purchase wasn't made in Oklahoma?

First off, let's agree that neither Mr. Walkup nor I are experts in tax law or in how the law has interpreted things regarding the Internet. But let's also agree that Mr. Walkup is an idiot. Note that he ignores the logical leap here. For him:

1) If I go to Texas, I pay Texas sales tax
2) Why should I pay Oklahoma sales tax if I buy something from Texas on-line?
3) Therefore, if I buy something from Texas on-line, but I'm actually in Oklahoma, I shouldn't pay any sales taxes.

Uh, no. Clearly, by his own logic, what he should be advocating is that if he buys something from Texas on-line, he should pay Texas sales tax!! But he doesn't want that. He just doesn't want to pay taxes at all, whining that "Every time the consumer gets a break, somebody (usually in government) wants to take that away."

Despite this letter being utterly stupid, the Oklahoman loves its anti-tax, anti-government sentiment, so it gets published.