vaxvms
ferroequine fan
Premium
join:2005-03-01
Worcester, MA
 ·Charter Pipeline
| [MA] Higher MA taxes. What are your thoughts?
Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday, June 26, that he will sign more than $1 billion in tax increases. That includes:
* new sales tax rate, which will increase from 5 percent to 6.25 percent, will go into effect Aug. 1.
* The statewide meals tax will also increase, from 5 percent to 6.25 percent, and municipalities will have the option to raise it up to 7 percent
* taxes will go up on satellite television users (5% ?)
* a sales-tax exemption on alcohol sold in retail stores will be eliminated
* Municipalities will also be allowed to raise the local hotel tax by 2 percentage points
Story in the Globe
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sashwa
Pixie Cat Crunchin' n Foldin'
Premium,Mod
join:2001-01-29
Alcatraz
clubs:  | What is a meals tax? I don't think we have that here.
Our sales tax was increased to 9.75% effective April 1 or thereabouts.  |
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vaxvms
ferroequine fan
Premium
join:2005-03-01
Worcester, MA | Meals tax: When you eat out you pay a tax on the food you're served. Everything from Fillet 'o Fish to lobster. |
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sashwa
Pixie Cat Crunchin' n Foldin'
Premium,Mod
join:2001-01-29
Alcatraz
clubs: | Ohhh, I wondered if that was it. I guess we have a meals tax after all. They just don't call it that here, just a sales tax. |
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sonofjay
Mission Accomplished - Bush May 1, 2003
Premium,MVM
join:2001-05-14
North Attleboro, MA
 ·Vonage
·Earthlink Cable Mo..
1 edit | reply to vaxvms
Ridiculous. All the increases are all really. Just a example of mismanagement of funds that we the people bear the price of out of our own wallet.
The one in particular that gets me, as I am also a user of satellite television, is the new 5% tax on satellite television. I do not understand how the Legislature and the Governor can reason a tax for one service but not others? Why are satellite service users the ONLY ones taxed? What about Comcast, Verizon FIOS, RCN users? That would be like taxing customers of Toyota for but not customers of Honda. This sounds like works of either cable or telco lobbyist and if so can only be explained as nothing other than punitive and anti-competitive.
The $1,000,000,000 tax INCREASE, especially now is frankly disgusting and irresponsible.
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capecoddah
join:2005-03-18
Yarmouth Port, MA
1 edit | reply to vaxvms
Throw the bums out! As the late, great, Dean of talk shows Jerry Williams would say "They tax and spend and spend and tax and tax and spend some more. Nothing is ever done, and it's your fault! You voted them in!"
Cape Cod is a cash cow for meals and lodging tax and we get shit in return. Deval (O'Bama lite) is killing the northern Commonwealth. You cannot tax what you do not have. The "green power" scam, are you that stupid? PAY ATTENTION!
But first you gotta get mad! I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take this any more! Howard Beale for the winning vent!
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=dib2-HBsF08 |
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HFB1217
The Wizard
Premium,ExMod 2000-01
join:2000-06-26
Camelot
clubs:
| reply to vaxvms
Of all the tax options the sales is the fairest one it is spread to everyone and people with more money buy more and pay basically in proportion to their income.
The cost per purchase is a minimal increase as taxes go but all taxes are a pain but still a necessary function of government.
The tax and spend opinion is not very valid this time because the economy has tanked and killed the tax base.
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****aka The WIZARD *** A Founding member of Seti BBR Team Starfire*** |
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swintec
Premium
join:2003-12-19
Alfred, ME
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| reply to vaxvms
said by vaxvms  :Higher MA taxes. What are your thoughts? My thoughts are that more Mass. citizens will be joining neighboring Mainers in tax free New Hampshire on a more regular basis. 
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capecoddah
join:2005-03-18
Yarmouth Port, MA
1 edit | reply to vaxvms
People just aren't as involved as they should be. Example: A bill regulating commercial fishing was passed with a little something tacked on. A license will be required to fish in the ocean. That's right, $10 - $25 a year to fish from the beach or your boat. Every state. Worcester Telegram had the story (I think, Cape Cod Times ran it buried offline. Perhaps a WT subscriber could dig it up?) And the money is going where?
Professional politicians are killing us. I'm not fond of the word, but "hacks". There! I said it! Hacks! The lawyer pyramid builders are taking money as fast as they can. |
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vaxvms
ferroequine fan
Premium
join:2005-03-01
Worcester, MA
·Charter Pipeline
| reply to swintec
MA residents need to be careful when shopping in NH. MA state income tax has a line item to pay taxes on stuff bought in NH (or any other state) From the DOR FAQ
"Individuals who purchase taxable tangible personal property for use in Massachusetts from out-of-state businesses that do not collect Massachusetts sales and use tax must self-assess their use tax liability and remit the amount directly to the Department of Revenue."
Paying for high priced items using a credit card (cash too?) can get you into trouble. Many people have been surprised to find out that the MA DOR has learned of their purchases and told them to "pay up" at tax time. With a sales tax increase you can bet the DOR will be watching where you're shopping.
If my memory hasn't failed, when the MA state tax went from 3% to 5% there were MA police at the NH border near Nashua and Salem watching for people returning from tax free shopping trips.
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If you think you are leading and no one is following you are just walking.
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sonofjay
Mission Accomplished - Bush May 1, 2003
Premium,MVM
join:2001-05-14
North Attleboro, MA
·Vonage
·Earthlink Cable Mo..
| Makes sense... they need more revenue from increased taxes so they can get and dedicate more Staties to patrol at the border so that they can collect more taxes.
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Mission Accomplished |
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swintec
Premium
join:2003-12-19
Alfred, ME
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| reply to vaxvms
Maine police did the same thing. Well, actually, they placed guys in the actual parking lots of the stores IN New Hampshire, to nab tax evaders...Didnt last long as NH police asked them to leave, rightfully so....So then they got the bright idea to sit up on the bridge with high powered cameras/binoculars....Damn fools if you ask me. I have not heard of this happening anytime recently though.
The trick is to do your purchases and then go do something else (grab a bite to eat)...Of course, this has more to do with purchasing fireworks than anything else.
"MA state income tax has a line item to pay taxes on stuff bought in NH"
Please dont tell me you actually fill this out! This line always gets a quick -0- written in from me.
I have paid for everything with a credit card for years...never had a problem, Big box stores have said no in regards to handing over this information.
There was one issue my parents ran into several years ago. There was a John Deere dealership that had a location here in Maine and another 20 minutes away in New Hampshire. My parents purchased a tractor from the NH store, saving the tax. Several years had passed and they received a Use Tax bill. Apparently the business got audited, and being that they had a location in Maine...this information was readily available. Live and learn....only do business with small time stores who do not have a presence in your state.
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vaxvms
ferroequine fan
Premium
join:2005-03-01
Worcester, MA
·Charter Pipeline
| reply to capecoddah
A story from 2008 in the Boston Globe about the ocean fishing licensing Ocean fishing for sport faces fee
The story is about a Federal agency doing this. |
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vaxvms
ferroequine fan
Premium
join:2005-03-01
Worcester, MA
·Charter Pipeline
| reply to vaxvms
Patrick hints at hike in gas tax
Signs budget, says levy on sales may not suffice; Cites need to bolster transportation system
Governor Deval Patrick signed a budget yesterday that imposes more than $1 billion in additional taxes on Massachusetts residents and visitors, most of it through the first increase in the state sales tax in 33 years, even as he declined to rule out a future boost in the state gas tax.
Patrick, whose earlier proposal for a 19-cent-per-gallon increase in the gasoline tax was largely ignored by the Legislature, continued to make the case yesterday that the tax could be necessary to put the state’s transportation network on sounder financial footing.
Read the entire story..
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If you think you are leading and no one is following you are just walking.
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capecoddah
join:2005-03-18
Yarmouth Port, MA | reply to vaxvms
Run Christy, Run! |
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John_W
Premium
join:2000-04-25
Worcester, MA
clubs:
·Vonage
| reply to vaxvms
I really don't get the 5% satellite tv tax. Why not tax both cable and satellite the same. Why single out one group and not the other.
This gov is clearly a one term Governor.
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mouseferatu
Too many cats, Too many mice
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join:2004-03-16
Im not sure
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
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| reply to vaxvms
said by vaxvms :MA residents need to be careful when shopping in NH. MA state income tax has a line item to pay taxes on stuff bought in NH (or any other state) If my memory hasn't failed, when the MA state tax went from 3% to 5% there were MA police at the NH border near Nashua and Salem watching for people returning from tax free shopping trips. Your memory hasn't failed!
I am amazed at how good MA and NH are at reciprocity in sticking it to the residents of the other state... There are a heck of a lot of speed traps right over the Massachusetts border around Christmas, and I have known more than one person who was questioned about their flat screen TV or freezer purchase as soon as they left NH.
I pay income tax to MA, NH, ME, and a number of other states that I derive income from in a given year. NH does tax businesses, and has loads of hidden taxes, just like everyone else. If our current turkey-in-governance has his way, we will have a general income tax soon to fix the mess our politicians and local good ole' fools have made of everything...
Like most folks I work with, I don't choose to pay to garage my car when working in Boston, so I buy a T-pass. I have to pay Boston insurance rates on the car anyway, because I often work on the 128 tech loop. Add in the usual costs of working and commuting to Massachusetts, and I would be in favor of shipping Govs. Patrick and Lynch to someplace they could be of use...
Someplace like Siberia, perhaps. Surely there must be some vast frozen wasteland there that they could improve enough to tax?? 
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TrainBuff
The New Haven Railroad
Premium
join:2003-05-01
Buffalo, NY
clubs:
·Verizon FIOS
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| reply to vaxvms
It seems like your Governor takes after our Governor....let's raise taxes and fees.
Our state budget was done in secret by three men in a room. Gov. Patterson, Assembly Speaker Sliver & Senate President Smith and passed by the puppet legislature. And lots of wasteful spending on pork.
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jfpatrick
join:2002-03-15
Leominster, MA | reply to John_W
So Cable TV is not taxed via the sales tax? Either tax all the telecomm companies the same/equally or don't. |
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capecoddah
join:2005-03-18
Yarmouth Port, MA
| reply to vaxvms
YAY!!! the new taxes are here!!!
Jack up motel tax by 2% but don't tax transient rental properties like the "second homes" (read: income properties) that are rented out 1 week at a time all summer. Brilliant.
Taxing beer, wine and liquor is "Double Dipping". Petition is already started by retailers. |
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