Amazon Sues NY Over Questionable Tax Collecting Law
from the time-to-prevent-a-mess dept
Recently, Tim highlighted that NY state, in a desperate move to squeeze more tax revenue out of Amazon.com changed the law to require Amazon to collect and pay NY state sales tax on goods shipped to New York. Federal law only requires that companies that have a physical presence in a state collect the sales tax. Amazon doesn't have a physical presence in New York, so New York redefined "physical presence" to include anyone who's a part of an affiliate program. Of course, Amazon affiliates are little more than advertisers of Amazon's goods. As Tim noted, this is effectively saying that any company may suddenly be forced to collect taxes if they just advertise on a website based in a certain state.In response, Amazon has wasted no time in suing New York State, claiming that the law is unconstitutional, noting that it's "overly broad and vague," while also noting that it's clearly designed to squeeze extra taxes out of one specific company: Amazon.com. It probably doesn't help NY state's defense to hear that state officials even referred to the law as "the Amazon tax."
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Filed Under: new york, tax collection
Companies: amazon
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amicus curiae brief
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Amazon Tax
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Re: Amazon Tax
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(Not from the US)
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Hold on a minute...
I know this is a headache for Amazon but not that big of one.
That said - the NY law IS overly broad.
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Amazon.com Tax
Do you really think that Hillary has time to sabatoge her campaign with that bill? Maybe you should look up who created and who are the bill backers before you start pointing fingers at Hillary. And No, I am not a Hillary supporter, I just don't like it when people say things based upon a pure guess and need to blame someone they don't like. Of course, this will make you upset that I said this because nobody likes being wrong.
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Re: Amazon.com Tax
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Its coming...
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This is what happens ...
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Amazon owes the country something
I'd like to see the businesses that oppose illogical taxes on business talk about what they ARE willing to pay to be socially responsible members of society. We don't hear too much of that.
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Now, now, be a good little CopperTop....
Remember "The Matrix", where everybody is just an energy supply for the machines? Well, that's what taxes are: energy for the "machine". And the state doesn't like it when their little CopperTops don't give them all the money they want.
Think NY is bad? Imagine the shock of tourists in Maine, where the state has begun to levy sales taxes on tourists who bring high-value vehicles -- boats, RVs, planes -- into the state, and stay longer than 20 days. Now even roaming CopperTops aren't safe, and they can't even vote to oust the legislature that's hammering them.
Time for a Tea Party, I think. I don't like being thought of as a power supply for a government that doesn't listen very well.
Bastiat was right: people love to use the power of government to take from others, who can't defend themselves. And that's just sick and twisted.
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Boycott NY... NOW
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Its coming... by Michael G. on May 2nd, 2008 @ 2:41pm
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Why don't Amazon.com have the guts to do so too?
They are losing lots of business on behalf of NYS residents.
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