Driverless Cars Getting Zonked With Zombie-Car Tax: Good Or Bad Taxing Approach?

Dr. Lance Eliot, AI Insider

Taxes seem to be the bane of our existence.

Whenever a new technology or innovation appears, one of the questions that inevitably gets raised is whether or not to tax it (the answer usually is yes) and how to do so.

Consider for example the advent of online retailing, which has increasingly become a favored way for people to shop and seems to inexorably be undercutting storefront retailers.

On the taxes side of things, a now famous U.S. Supreme Court case seemed to settle a thorny question about taxes as it relates to online retailers (a case pitting South Dakota versus Wayfair Inc.).

The United States Supreme Court ruled that online retailers would henceforth be required to collect sales taxes in states for which those online firms have no actual physical presence, assuming that the respective state wants those retailers to collect such taxes (yes, most states if not all will — it is essentially “free” revenue for the state).

Brick-and-mortar firms cheered feverishly and popped champagne when they heard the ruling.

Online retailers cursed out loud and were dreading this possible decision.