Tennessee - Email from Amazon about Tax (sales, 2014) - City-Data Forum

HelloWorldItsMe · 05-04-2012, 04:11 PM

If this has already been posted or asked on here...please let me know where I can find this information...I know there are ones for other states but didn't see one for Tennessee and tax might be different.

Is there anyone else that purchased something from Amazon (this year - 2012) who resides in Tennessee and received an email from them about taxes due? I talked to someone at work but they didn't purchase anything THIS year..I think that is the "kicker" (the start of when back taxes are being owed). The email that I received shows that I had other purchases last year but they show 0.00 for the amount. The only one that is shows an amount is this year/2012. My question is, how to figure out what you owe? Sorry, guess I am just not understanding how to figure it out or get the amount. I read somewhere that would need to make an amendment to the income tax that was just filed. Is this correct? It didn't sound right, but never know unless you ask. I don't understand when the money is due, either. Anyone know? Any help or knowledge about this would be very much appreciated..

Thanks SO much!

Bones · 05-04-2012, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HelloWorldItsMe

If this has already been posted or asked on here...please let me know where I can find this information...I know there are ones for other states but didn't see one for Tennessee and tax might be different.

Is there anyone else that purchased something from Amazon (this year - 2012) who resides in Tennessee and received an email from them about taxes due? I talked to someone at work but they didn't purchase anything THIS year..I think that is the "kicker" (the start of when back taxes are being owed). The email that I received shows that I had other purchases last year but they show 0.00 for the amount. The only one that is shows an amount is this year/2012. My question is, how to figure out what you owe? Sorry, guess I am just not understanding how to figure it out or get the amount. I read somewhere that would need to make an amendment to the income tax that was just filed. Is this correct? It didn't sound right, but never know unless you ask. I don't understand when the money is due, either. Anyone know? Any help or knowledge about this would be very much appreciated..

Thanks SO much!

This might help....

The Nashville Ledger

Wmsn4Life · 05-05-2012, 08:19 AM

You tally up the total purchase amount Amazon said you spent last year and figure out the sales tax owed based on the state amount of 7% plus whatever the percentage is in your city. (it'll be somewhere around 2.5%)

My total tax owed came out to around $8.

The e-mail is legitimate, and is partly a political move on Amazon's part to wake up purchasers to what Amazon considers is an unfair move by the state to require them to charge sales tax to Tn customers now that they have a distribution center here.

I love the quote by the guy who's going to forward it to his accountant and "figure out the ethical thing to do." LOL Um, you owe the tax, so pay it.

md21722 · 05-05-2012, 03:05 PM

when you buy an item you are supposed to pay tax on it. if it is not collected at POS, then you are supposed to pay the state directly. in the past the issue has been enforcement - it is a burden on states to scrape through everyone's credit card and debit card statements looking for out of state purchases. the letters from amazon are just a way to encourage compliance with existing tax laws.

Wmsn4Life · 05-05-2012, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by md21722

in the past the issue has been enforcement - it is a burden on states to scrape through everyone's credit card and debit card statements looking for out of state purchases.

Exactly!

In the community where I live, the majority of our revenue comes from sales tax. Residents complain when other taxes, like property taxes, go up. But tons of people (myself included) have gotten away with this for years. Our state needs the revenue.

HelloWorldItsMe · 05-05-2012, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

You tally up the total purchase amount Amazon said you spent last year and figure out the sales tax owed based on the state amount of 7% plus whatever the percentage is in your city. (it'll be somewhere around 2.5%)

My total tax owed came out to around $8.

The e-mail is legitimate, and is partly a political move on Amazon's part to wake up purchasers to what Amazon considers is an unfair move by the state to require them to charge sales tax to Tn customers now that they have a distribution center here.

I love the quote by the guy who's going to forward it to his accountant and "figure out the ethical thing to do." LOL Um, you owe the tax, so pay it.

The email said you owed for last year? 2011? The email I got said 0.00 for last year..it wasn't much that I bought. Actually, last year, 2011 was the first time I bought something from them. I did buy one thing from them this year, 2012 and it lists the price of it.

Good to know it is "legitimate". You never know, but sounds like it must be especially since Amazon hasn't sent anything out that is wasn't "legit".

I do believe that if I owe the tax I want to pay it, the question or issue I was having is..I wasn't quite sure how to figure it out. Or when it was due.

Thanks...appreciate it. :O)

steel7 · 05-05-2012, 07:03 PM

I live in ca & if i buy anything from a seller in ca i must pay sales tax. Its added into the purchase. I bought a dvd a few days ago from a marketplace seller on amazon & was charged sales tax. This is the last time i buy from a in state seller. I have been buying cds, dvds & vhs from amazon for years & this is the first (& last) time i was charged a sales tax.

Wmsn4Life · 05-05-2012, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HelloWorldItsMe

The email said you owed for last year? 2011? The email I got said 0.00 for last year..it wasn't much that I bought. Actually, last year, 2011 was the first time I bought something from them. I did buy one thing from them this year, 2012 and it lists the price of it.

Good to know it is "legitimate". You never know, but sounds like it must be especially since Amazon hasn't sent anything out that is wasn't "legit".

I do believe that if I owe the tax I want to pay it, the question or issue I was having is..I wasn't quite sure how to figure it out. Or when it was due.

Thanks...appreciate it. :O)

Yes, it was use tax for the purchases I made in calendar year 2011.

pythonis · 05-05-2012, 08:02 PM

the tax bill that was signed doesnt go into effect until 2014

foxywench · 05-05-2012, 08:12 PM

if recal correctly, if its not collected at time of purchase its up to the consumer to "do the right thing" and pay DIRECTLY to the state...
amazon cant bill you months later and go "hey by the way you now owe us this much cause we "forgot" personally i wouldnt be paying anyone naything without talking to my accountant and then id ONLY pay directly to the state.