BH pays the tax to the state, but in selected states, they reimburse the the tax to consumers that use this card. So instead of paying 3% to VISA, they may own their credit card/banking tool to save their 3% cost as well as late payments and interest charges. As a result, they have an advantage over other online retailers, including Amazon and Adorama.
B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes
41–50 of 63 posts
Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
more power to you. Personally I prefer to pay during tax time rather than at time of purchase. Or better yet, if this is now a federal sales tax then make it a federal sales tax. Stop acting like we're all obligated to pay different amounts depending on state.
I like that in Australia, retailers and others have to show the final amount. It seems that because sales taxes can't be known definitely for a given consumer at time of advertisement, certain businesses abuse this to include other unmentioned fees. Like resort fees at hotels. I would much rather look at a business' offerings and know immediately what I will be paying out-of-pocket. Federal sales tax could make that…
We have several targeted excise taxes that work exactly this way at both the Federal and state levels. Gas, alcohol, tobacco, etc. (Even, since Obamacare, tanning!)
I thank God this is not the custom anywhere in this country for general sales taxes (all state and local). All "having to show the final amount" means is that the tax is hidden from the consumer in his day to day transactions, instead of staring him in the face every time--even requiring some quick arithmetic on his part. The last thing we need is even less awareness from the public of just how much of their money the government is taking from them. (Income tax withholding has already done an excellent job of that.)
I am constantly shocked, in fact, that in the name of "consumer protection" our politicians have not already hit upon this ingenious way to increase taxpayer complacency. Give it time, I am sure--especially since "being like other countries" (only insofar as they have more government involvement in their citizens' lives, of course) is the increasingly open and fervent declaration of politicians over here.
And in fact jurisdictions around the world and throughout history have typically done essentially exactly that--when sales taxes exceed a certain number (I think it's around 12%) they switch to "excise" to temper public awareness and outrage. And then the dam is burst; they can hike all they want. No thank you.
Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
more power to you. Personally I prefer to pay during tax time rather than at time of purchase. Or better yet, if this is now a federal sales tax then make it a federal sales tax. Stop acting like we're all obligated to pay different amounts depending on state.
Taxes stress me out. If the government could easily send me a bill of my sales taxes at the end of the year I might prefer that but given the system we have I rather pay at time of purchase over manual and more error prone tracking over a year. Regardless, and maybe it's not a great distinction, I find a difference in a company not charging sales tax vs a company sending an excited e-mail about how they've found a lo…
Even ignoring the compliance issues the government would never do that. They already do not do that with income taxes--having changed the system to "pay as you go" as soon as they hiked it (WWII, then--surprise!--never cut it for peacetime) to levels where it would matter to most Americans.
Instead they "withhold," helping themselves to an interest-free loan and obscuring the bill so the average Joe grumbles a bit sometime when he sees his pay stub but has little awareness of his actual tax liability; then he jumps for joy at his "refund" April 15 when the government kindly returns his money that was never theirs in the first place. Hooray!
Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes
#44I support them 100% and I do not support paying taxes to out of state orders. Soon will be eBay and Amazon. California and New York keeping companies away with their rules and taxes so let them try harder to attract companies.
yea, in CA and NY we already pay outrageous property, income, and sales taxes. Is it really that ridiculous to not want to pay our entire salary to taxes?
I'm in CA, single earner family, we don't pay even half of my salary in (property/income/sales) taxes. I'm not sure I agree with your sentiment.
I suppose if you decided to buy a property that was more than you could afford, and you're using credit card debt to buy more than you can afford, then you may have a large tax burden. Those are reckless decisions though.
Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes
#45I am rather surprised that so many users here--who are presumably some of the smarter people out there--supposed that from this email that B&H had found some sort of "loophole" or "workaround," twisting themselves into pretzels thinking about it, rather than simply assuming as a default that it was some sort of discounting promotion gimmick. That was the only thing that came to my mind from square one as soon as I read it.
Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
B&H's customer focus does not imply ethical behavior. They've been accused of racial/gender discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and harassment. [1] They recently settled with the U.S. Department of Labor for $3.2 million. [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%26H_Photo_Video#Controversie... [2] https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ofccp/ofccp20170814
if you have a bit of knowledge, you should know that every big organization has those types of settlements its impossible to avoid them
Whataboutism is not a good defense to founded charges of racial/gender discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and harassment. Despite your claims, there are plenty of companies that do not have these problems, and many more that do not suffer them to the same degree.
Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes
#47Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes
#48I am rather surprised that so many users here--who are presumably some of the smarter people out there--supposed that from this email that B&H had found some sort of "loophole" or "workaround," twisting themselves into pretzels thinking about it, rather than simply assuming as a default that it was some sort of discounting promotion gimmick. That was the only thing that came to my mind from square one as soon as I re…
...and I ain't sayin' I'm too bright!
Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes
#49Sounds like a cash back store card. Amazon gives 5%. Bh just has to do a bit more to cancel out taxes.
Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes
#50Ahem, has anyone seen the APR % for new accounts? 29%!!!
I guess they can afford to give sales tax back.