Sales Taxes

A turf war has broken out among state lawmakers scrambling for a piece of the $25 million to $30 million in tax revenue generated from the sale of nearly $500 million worth of jet fuel in California every year.

State officials moved closer Wednesday to charging sales tax on consumer items purchased from out-of-state online and catalog companies, a requirement that could ultimately generate $1.8 billion annually for strained government coffers. A bill that would make California part of a consortium of 36 states working on the issue breezed through a Senate committee Wednesday with bipartisan approval.

Good bad news Re "Phone hacking scandal widens," July 12 I could not be more pleased at the damage inflicted on Rupert Murdoch's global misinformation machine. I regret the harm done to the victims of Murdoch's stooges, but I'm pleased the perpetrators have been caught and will probably pay a heavy price. I hope the left in Britain and the United States will take advantage of Murdoch's weakened state as an opportunity to inflict even more damage on him. As an expat American, I especially hope the left in my country will exploit every opportunity to use these and any further charges that may emerge against Murdoch's stooges at Fox News.

Some major retailers this week began voluntarily charging online sales taxes in 37 states and the District of Columbia, a move that could reshape the way business is done on the Web. Nationwide retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Toys R Us Inc. and Target Corp., hope they eventually can persuade states to mandate online sales taxes, leveling the playing field against Internet-only rivals.

Texas Gov. George W. Bush, a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2000, moved to bolster his image as a tax-cutter Thursday by asking the state Legislature to trim sales taxes on some items. The proposed cuts, on items such as diapers, nonprescription medicines and Internet access, would save consumers about $400 million, or $70 per family, over the next two years, he told a news conference. Bush said tax cuts were possible because the state government is expected to have a $3.

The city said Thursday that it will abandon plans to stop paying its share of county sales tax if it can get the money back in services, resources or property. County officials quickly embraced the idea. The move forestalls a threat that other cities in the county might join in a tax revolt. Ventura Mayor Sandy Smith will talk with county officials next week about ways to be reimbursed for the $572,000 Ventura will pay in county sales tax this year.

TVs and laptops won't be the only hot items in South Carolina this Black Friday. The state is offering a perk to shoppers: no sales tax on handguns, rifles and shotguns. The so-called 2nd Amendment Weekend comes thanks to a little-debated amendment that legislators tacked onto a tax break for energy-efficient appliances. On Friday and Saturday, gun buyers won't have to pay state and local sales taxes that can total 8%. Taxes still apply to ammunition and accessories. "Quite often people will buy their pop or grandpop a shotgun or rifle to hunt with for Christmas," said Republican state Rep. Mike Pitts, who introduced the proposal.

A proposal to eliminate sales taxes on food and over-the-counter medicine will stay on next week's ballot, the state Supreme Court ruled. According to various estimates, removing the tax would cut $200 million to $500 million from government budgets. A poll this summer found that more than 70% in Arkansas favored exempting groceries and nonprescription drugs from the sales tax.

The city might have to refund $1 million or more to various defense contractors because of a state Supreme Court ruling that the firms are exempt from paying sales taxes on supplies, according to a report the City Council will review tonight. Kenneth H.

Hoping to avert a nasty showdown and persuade the city of Ventura to pay its fair share of sales tax, County Chief Administrative Officer Harry Hufford released a report Monday highlighting the benefits the city gets from being the seat of county government. Hufford may be too late. County supervisors warned Monday that if Ventura thinks it can withhold its $572,000 in annual sales tax contribution to the county and not suffer any consequences, it's wrong.