J.D. Tuccille Debates Thom Hartmann Over Internet Sales Taxes

Yesterday, I appeared on Thom Hartmann's show to discuss the wisdom of Internet sales taxes and how they should or shouldn't be applied. Hartmann seemed firmly fixed on the idea that sales taxes are not just a good thing, but that they must necessarily apply where the consumer lives rather than where the vendor is located — a requirement that involves some logistical challenges in a nation of thousands of tax regimes. Note, by the way, how he seemed to assume at the 5:00 mark that a point I was making about how his stance has potential civil liberties implications if simply viewing a Web page invokes legal jurisdiction was somehow a call-out to a tussle over international trade.

Still and all, any debate is a good debate, and I thank Thom Hartmann for having me on.

Reason columnist Veronique de Rugy has dealt, at length, with the subject of Internet sales taxes.