"Americans not getting bang for buck in Europe"

Markku Grönroos wrote:

I believe there are zillions of (typically larger) shops in USA which offer
tax refund services

Can you point out just one? There are no federal sales taxes in the USA
and the tax laws differ widely from state to state. Such an office
would be under the local government of that state if it existed. I have
yet to see such an office for foreign travelers.

"Miles" wrote in message
news:O_LVb.26797$tP1.2672@fed1read07...


Markku Grönroos wrote:

I believe there are zillions of (typically larger) shops in USA which
offer
tax refund services

Can you point out just one? There are no federal sales taxes in the USA
and the tax laws differ widely from state to state. Such an office
would be under the local government of that state if it existed. I have
yet to see such an office for foreign travelers.

Alright. What do they sell at the international airports tax free then ? And
what is this tax not charged ? Is it a federal tax ?

On Mon, 9 Feb 2004 15:45:06 +0200, "Markku Grönroos"
wrote:

Alright. What do they sell at the international airports tax free then ? And
what is this tax not charged ? Is it a federal tax ?

There are federal excise taxes on liquor, wine and cigarettes, for
example.

Gordon

On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 06:35:48 GMT, (Miguel Cruz) wrote:

And George Bush is opposed to increasing the size of the federal governmnet.

So are the Democrats. Just ask 'em.

Gordon

On 9/02/04 13:15, in article
, "PJ O'Donovan"
wrote:


"We are socialists, we are enemies of today's capitalistic economic
system for the exploitation of the economically weak,.... and we are
determined to destroy this system under all conditions." --

--Adolf Hitler qouted in a speech by the noted Historian, John Toland
in his
biography "Adolf Hitler", pg 306.

The Historian


Then why did Hitler award Henry the Grand Cross of the Supreme Order of
the German Eagle in 1938?

And why was Hitler supported by the business interests in Germany and
internationally?

Earl

On 9/02/04 14:10, in article ,
"Padraig Breathnach" wrote:

"We are socialists, we are enemies of today's capitalistic economic
system for the exploitation of the economically weak,.... and we are
determined to destroy this system under all conditions." --

--Adolf Hitler qouted in a speech by the noted Historian, John Toland
in his
biography "Adolf Hitler", pg 306.

What, if anything, does that prove?

For those who have uncomplicated view of history, simple statements have a
lot of power. But the situation is a lot more complicated than
pulling a quote out of a book. A single sentence.

There is no doubt that Hitler was "anti-Capitalist", but in fact
they fell under his spell, he under theirs. They loved him because he
kept the working classes occupied, under control. German capitalists
and the upper class mostly came to terms with Hitler, some used him
as he use them.


But in the term "national socialism" one has to stress then "national" part.
Various national socialisms have been totalitarian in nature and
anti-humanistics. Therefore they were a departure from humanistic democratic
roots of 19th Century socialism and that at work now in Western Europe.

In that sense, referring to Hitler as a socialist is non-sequitur, it has
nothing to do with the current situation.

Nor should it be forgotten that Hitler was well thought of, before of the
war, by many American capitalists and those in the American right.

Earl

Earl Evleth muttered....

On 9/02/04 13:15, in article
, "PJ O'Donovan"
wrote:


"We are socialists, we are enemies of today's capitalistic economic
system for the exploitation of the economically weak,.... and we are
determined to destroy this system under all conditions." --

--Adolf Hitler qouted in a speech by the noted Historian, John Toland
in his
biography "Adolf Hitler", pg 306.

The Historian


Then why did Hitler award Henry the Grand Cross of the Supreme Order of
the German Eagle in 1938?

And why was Hitler supported by the business interests in Germany and
internationally?


.....Because Old Adolf was like so many politicians who profess adherence to
the tenets of Socialism something less than frank, totally self-serving and
amazingly able to convince the puir hoipolloi out in the street that he
could lead them out of the wilderness into a land of milk and honey, gold-
paved streets, and wide horizons recovered from temporary undeserving
landlords.

Europe in the 20s and 30s was fertile greenhouse for that approach. Still
is for that matter, although substantial numbers of current utopian
socialists arrive at that pinnacle of perspective based on the efforts of
their ancestors who wrested from the earth, nearby peons and the otherwise
exploitable ill-gained wealth for their bambini to inherit (so that the
little nippers could grow old and plump while avoiding rude confrontations
with the "marketplace" which tends to function outside the parameters of
their glowing hopes for mankind).

It's truly amazing how the grandsons of rapacious robber barons so often
turn out to be committed do-gooders (or worse yet, fixated upon talking and
writing about do-gooding, rather than doing much of it, the symptoms of
easily assuaged guilt complexes).

My old Grandaddy, long departed this vale of tears, had been orphaned
early, raised by relatives, "pulling the plow instead of able to walk
behind it" in his words, and had spent some time in the ranks of the
Agrarian Populist, once a popular sort of leftish leaning among 'Merkin
small farmers. The exploitation of the movement by the demagogues of its
leadership who blood-sucked their livings from the hides of their followers
drove him from the farm, and into the ranks of traders in oil leases, a
particular cynical brand of capitalists. Broke several times before
restatrting life as an insurance salesman, an even more cyncical sort of
public exploitation, he was quick to note that he had entered life without
a pot to **** in, yet proud to have never worked for a salary or wage.

I waited too long to emulate his view of employment...

TMO

Miles wrote:
Gregory Morrow wrote:

No. The US does not have VAT.

The only way I know of for foreigners to avoid USA taxes on goods is to
buy them at a duty free shop at a border or airport. The other way is
to buy from a USA mail-order firm and have it shipped. In most cases
there will be no tax added.

If you spend enough most states have a process for the refund of sales
taxes on items that are taken home. Like most of the VAT refund
programs it's not easy but it is there. FFM

Miles wrote:

Markku Grönroos wrote:

I believe there are zillions of (typically larger) shops in USA which
offer
tax refund services

Can you point out just one? There are no federal sales taxes in the USA
and the tax laws differ widely from state to state. Such an office
would be under the local government of that state if it existed. I have
yet to see such an office for foreign travelers.

Lacking eligibility I don't pay much attention. Most shops in the
Quarter in New Orleans sport refund stickers though. FFM

Frank F. Matthews wrote:

If you spend enough most states have a process for the refund of sales
taxes on items that are taken home. Like most of the VAT refund
programs it's not easy but it is there. FFM

The only state I know of where a typical foreign tourist can apply for a
sales tax refund is Louisiana which only recently adopted such a
service. Their website http://www.louisianataxfree.com seems to be down
at the moment.

For business travelers it is possible to get a refund in most states.
The business must file for a tax exemption prior to travel. This is not
unique to foreign travelers though. US businesses buying for resale can
file the same exemption and buy tax free at many retail stores.