Amazon.com fights sales-tax plans

As revenue-hungry states eye Internet retailers as possible sources of new taxes, Amazon.com Inc.

[WillTheDefendant Rise]

Yikes! Buying on line is the only way to save on the onerous Illinois sales taxes. Hopefully Amazon and other online retailers will fight the greedy hands of the overspending states.

[R Murphy]

Screw the states and their corrupt and thieving politicians. They can fix their budget problems by resigning from office, thereby saving taxpayers from paying their outrageous salaries and benefits. This generation of government representatives has to be the worst in our nation's history.

[hooray for Amazon]

which reminds me, there is NO WAY I'm paying an extra $100-$250 in SALES TAX just for the pleasure of buying a new laptop locally!

[Gold Deal]

Go Amazon! You definitely have the support of every consumer behind you! It's the Boston Tea Party of 2009!

[Just Think]

Bravo, Amazon. Once states realize they are screwing themselves and their local businesses, hopefully they will back off.

[Boris the Spider]

I fear that with this government, the day is not far off when there will be a federal tax on internet sales.
Any and every avenue to apply additional taxes will be explored.

[Break the Unions]

Good for Amazon. Someone needs to stand up to this tax grab by local governments to fund their SEIU-fattened state employee ranks. Once again, unions are the root cause of all the budget ills that affect these states.

[Matt]

Just Think wrote:

Bravo, Amazon. Once states realize they are screwing themselves and their local businesses, hopefully they will back off.

How are they screwing local businesses? The lack of a sales tax for Amazon actually hurts local businesses that have to pay extra sales tax that Amazon does not have to. I can see other arguments for supporting Amazon but saying that it hurts local businesses is not one of them.

[JSIII]

Amazon, advocate for the consumer WTG! Keep fighting these greedy politicians.

[Just Think]

Matt wrote:

<quoted text>
How are they screwing local businesses? The lack of a sales tax for Amazon actually hurts local businesses that have to pay extra sales tax that Amazon does not have to. I can see other arguments for supporting Amazon but saying that it hurts local businesses is not one of them.

The local businesses in the states that have made a grab for taxes have been booted off the amazon website, thereby costing them business. They can no longer sell on amazon, which cuts off a huge chunk of their potential customer base.

[Tax Man]

This is a US constitutional issue. Prize to the first one who can cite the bill of rights amendment or key court case that is the heart of amazon's and the states' battle. Does anyone know why amazon should not have to charge tax? Anyone know why states should prevail?

[david wayne osedach]

This is one battle I hope Amazon wins. I would be lost without their on-line shopping site.

[Robert]

Just Think wrote:

<quoted text>
The local businesses in the states that have made a grab for taxes have been booted off the amazon website, thereby costing them business. They can no longer sell on amazon, which cuts off a huge chunk of their potential customer base.

In addition, those business owners with less revenue will probably have to let some people go which will reduce income tax revenue. Politicians are so dumb. If they are worried about making it fair for their retailers, maybe they should elimanate the sales tax?

It's time to pull the plug on the spending binge, or pull the plug on this nation. Both cannot survive

[Callaway]

The Illinois legislature has been eying the internet sales like a fat Thanksgiving turkey kept in a pen they can get over for years. Anything to keep their phony baloney elected positions for life and insure they can still get their yearly self imposed raises and money wasting per diem checks rolling in while doing nothing.

[Paul - Chicago]

So here's something I just thought of -- people's websites even though I am in Chicago, is run by Lunar Pages in California- aka their physical presence -- so hypotheically, if Cali wasnt in the cross-hairs, why should I have to be penalized by no longer being an affiliate.

[D Garcia]

Matt wrote:

<quoted text>
How are they screwing local businesses? The lack of a sales tax for Amazon actually hurts local businesses that have to pay extra sales tax that Amazon does not have to. I can see other arguments for supporting Amazon but saying that it hurts local businesses is not one of them.

Imagine your one of the Amazon affiliates in the state that requires state tax to be collected. When Amazon cuts ties with you, it kinda hurts.

[Leroy Jenkins]

This is like the perfect tax evasion scam ever, why don't da gubment crack down on these rich crakas, they hurtin local stores and stuff.

[Yes]

I fail to see how Joe Public running a website in Ohio (that might be hosted on a server in, say, Pennsylvania), putting up links to Amazon (based in Washington), is equal to Amazon having a physical presence in Ohio. I can't go to Joe Public's house (his physical presence) and buy the Amazon goods from him.

Besides, the fact that the states enacting this aren't getting anything out of it (due to Amazon etc cutting off their affiliate plans to those states) should be enough to make the other states know they shouldn't bother.

[Dave]

I'm 100% for Amazon in this one, but have a much better idea how states can save employment: let's see how long these "budget meetings" last if there are representative's jobs at risk! I'll bet all of a sudden if representatives face losing their livelihood, all sorts of cuts will suddenly present themselves that never did before, and these taxes will suddenly no longer be necessary.

[All-true]

It's time to kill the 10.25 percent sales tax in Illinoix. 10.25 percent! Higher than tithing. Absurd.