Sandoval serious about Internet sales tax

Gov. Brian Sandoval is so serious about residents paying sales taxes on Internet purchases that he remitted 30 cents in sales taxes that he felt were due on a $3.99 set of cuff links he bought on eBay.

The governor, who recently executed an agreement that will require Nevadans who buy items through Amazon.com to pay sales taxes starting in 2014, said May 1 that he decided to pay sales tax to the Department of Taxation on a set of Reno design cuff links he purchased. After it was pointed out by reporters that the sales tax due was less than the price of a postage stamp, Sandoval said he sent the money through interoffice mail.

Companies now are not required to collect sales taxes on Internet purchases made by Nevadans unless the companies selling the items have stores in the state. The administration insists the tax is due anyway from the purchaser. But no one other than a governor would pay sales taxes off a purchase from an individual on eBay.

Sandoval noted that U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., opposes taxing Internet purchases. Bills to require it are pending in Congress and not likely to pass during the current election year. Nevada voters twice have overwhelmingly rejected ballot questions, including in 2010, to allow the state easily to collect the sales taxes once Congress passes these bills.