sales tax – Impact Lab

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25 Shocking Predictions About the Coming Driverless Car Era (Revised for 2025)

November 7, 2025

By Futurist Thomas Frey

I’ll admit it: I got some things wrong about autonomous vehicles.

Back when I made my original predictions about the driverless car era, I was too optimistic about timelines and too conservative about what would actually change. I thought we’d have fully autonomous vehicles everywhere by 2020. I underestimated regulatory resistance. I didn’t anticipate how COVID would reshape urban transportation priorities.

But I also got some things right—and more importantly, I’ve learned what questions to ask differently. So here’s my revised take on 25 shocking predictions for the driverless car era, updated with what we’ve learned and what’s actually coming.

Advertising, Economy

Future of retail – what happens to the empty stores?

June 12, 2017

Iconic mall-based department chains, like Sears and JC Penney, are announcing hundreds of store closures in 2017. More chains are expected to announce shutdowns over the next decade. Experts say the shuttered locations could turn into other businesses that benefit from the large square footage, like fitness centers, churches, offices, public libraries, movie theaters, and medical clinics.

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Analysis, Business, Science & Technology News

Will Amazon’s push for same-day delivery destroy local retail?

July 16, 2012

Amazon logistics center.

Amazon has had an unbeatable price advantage over its physical rivals. When you buy anything from your local retailer the company is required to collect local sales tax at the checkout. In most states, Amazon is exempt from that rule. According to a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, only firms with a physical presence in a state are required to collect taxes from residents. For example, if you live in California and buy a product on Amazon you are supposed to pay a $100 “use tax” when you file your annual return in that state. But nobody does that. For most people, then, most items at Amazon are significantly cheaper than the same, identically priced items at other stores.

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Analysis, Current Events, Economy, Globalism, Historical Perspectives, Internet, Latest News

Amazon staves off the tax man for another year

September 8, 2011

Safe for another year or so.

One of the cornerstones of Amazon’s business has been avoiding sales taxes; because their transactions are online, you don’t have to pay Uncle Sam with every purchase. And now, thanks to some maneuvering around a proposed California law, you’ll remain off the hook for another year…

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Analysis, Economy, government

A Country of 90,000 Governments

May 26, 2011

Futurist Thomas Frey: The total number of governmental bodies in the U.S. is approaching a staggering number – 90,000. During normal economic times there is plenty of money to go around, but now every city, state, county, parish, township, and special taxing district is competing for the same tax dollars that the federal government is.

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Analysis, Business, government, Money Talk, Science & Technology News

Reinventing Sales Tax

May 16, 2011

Sales tax is a a system that is now on the verge of collapse

Futurist Thomas Frey: As a general rule, extreme levels of complexity take a significant toll on society. The price we pay for complexity is far greater than the money involved. With upwards of 90,000 separate taxing districts in the U.S. sales tax has become an overly complicated system deeply entrenched in the fabric of society, but woefully out of touch with the times.

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