Internet Sales Tax

It looks like the California government is finally trying to grapple with Internet sales tax.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080314/wr_nm/california_itunes_tax_dc_1

As I stated a few months ago I had to prepare my sales tax reports and for about the 10th year they came out to $0.00 owed. I think I've owed a dollar or two a couple of those years, but basically $0.00. I don't think this law would effect me since I do all my sales through Digital River and they are considered my vendor of reference. Since they are in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it it is just like an out of state sale which I wouldn't pay sales tax on anyway. If there is any tax to collect, which there is when something gets sold to the UK, they collect it and deal with it. It alleviates a lot of headaches for me and I really love Digital River for that. Even though they do take a pretty large chunk of my sales. It makes me think I should use paypal for 1.9% of the sale and just deal with the tax! But then I wouldn't have access to the affiliate system and changing my website is something I always resist. If something is working, leave it alone!!!

As for paying taxes, I wouldn't mind. I use the roads, I appreciate the police and fire departments, programs for the poor, I used the county health department when I got bit by a dog in Africa, I like after school programs and the such. Paying it hurts and I whine like everyone else, but I do appreciate what my tax dollars do. I just wish it was a little more efficient and government officials took a little more pride in their duties. Sometimes a lot of those positions look very cush from the outside and could be done with about 10% of the current size and the rest could go to other programs. But I'm not expert, I just think the good outweighs the bad of a smaller income. As long as we are all taxed equally (which we are not and is a whole other matter) I'm fine.

Tax time

Tax time has distracted me a little from development. I have to get my books in order before the 31st when I have to report sales tax numbers. Since I do all my business online and my vendor or reference is in Minnesota (Digital River) I don't pay any California sales tax so it is an exercise that doesn't make any difference, but it is still a hoop I have to jump through. As I've said before, this doesn't make me much money, I have been doing it for years because it makes a little bit of money, but mostly because I wrote this software for myself and it worked so I decided to share it with others. If you have any ideas on how to improve it, or how to improve sales I would love to hear them.

As I stepped away from development to do taxes I had just finished a new layout for the edit window and had begun to implement it in code.