Sales Tax Discounts - Still Warranted?

I've got a blog post on the sales tax discounts that several states offer to vendors to help address the costs they incur in getting sales tax remitted. See the post at SalesTaxSupport.com. Two things caught my attention recently that led to me to this topic.

1. Governor Greitens of Missouri has proposed repealing that states 2% unlimited discount. Certainly, it would raise revenue, but he also states that with improve compliance technology, the discount is no longer needed.

2. I reviewed many parts of Texas' tax law in preparing for testimony I presented to the Texas Commission on Public School Finance on April 5. I first noticed that they gave a discount for paying hotel taxes on time. They also have penalties for filing and paying late. The discount along with the penalty seemed to me worth addressing. After all, who gets a bonus for doing what they are supposed to do? I have not heard of employees getting bonuses for showing up for work on time. I also noted they had both a discount and a prepayment bonus in their sales tax system. A prepayment bonus is intriguing and one that technology can certain eliminate the need for.  If states want their tax dollars earlier, such as to pay bills rather than have to borrow to pay bills, why not use technology to get the payment to the government real time rather than have the sales tax first go to the vendor and then to the government (see my 6/23/08 (!) post for this topic).

For more on discounts, what states use them, which have limits and which do not and the tax policy considerations of them, please take a look at the post.

What do you think?

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source http://21stcenturytaxation.blogspot.com/2018/04/sales-tax-discounts-still-warranted.html