This is a cheap shot. If NY wants their sales tax from their citizens who purchase things out-of-state and online, they need to do their jobs and educate their citizens to pay up. In WA state, legally all citizens are supposed to pay the State any unpaid sales tax on purchases online or out-of-state. I don’t know if the same is true everywhere else. Having said that, WA state DOR never actually enforces that rule on anyone other than businesses within the state. So here NY is trying to do the impossible task by requiring the online businesses to do what NY’s DOR could not do themselves. 

I like the thought of online businesses completely boycotting NY entirely! Just don’t ship there. Then maybe the citizens will arise and get the NY government to wake up and put their taxpayer’s money to better use.

This article was a little unclear, making it sound like every online retailer will have to register.  That is not true.  The key is that Amazon has an affiliate program, where they pay people a commission for referrals to their site.  Since some of their affiliates are in New York, the state is making a case that they have a presence in New York—even though they themselves are not physically there.  This would be a verrrry broad definition of ‘presence’.  The little guys don’t have to worry if they have no office, store, etc. in New York

I live overseas, am not an American and now NY think I must become a tax collection agent for them. Sorry, but that won’t happen… And how can they legally backdate a tax law to a time that they see fit?

Oh – silly me, they make the laws and need a little extra cash to finace their profligate money-wasting habits.

But the worrying thing is that if this law goes through then the cost of anyone doing business online will go up, there are many mom and pop businesses who will suddenly be forced to become tax collecters. The extra burden on them will force many out of business especially when other states jump on the bandwagon as they surely will.

What do we have to do stop this nonsense?

Well said everyone.  We will just stop doing business in NY if we have to collect sales tax for NY.  Imagine if every state would do that.  Not only are there such varied tax rates across states, counties, localities, there is also a big difference in what is taxed.  Some states like NJ don’t tax clothing, many others do. 

This would be a nightmare.  I can’t imagine even finding an accountant that could fill out the 50 quarterly returns required if an online store had to file to every state.

If states want the sales tax from small businesses internet sales, the simplest way is to treat the web store as a brick and mortar store.  All sales are taxed based on location of store owner.  Sure the state would lose sales tax from other internet sites that ship to their state, however they would gain by collecting tax on everyone in their state that ran an internet site and collected the sales tax for goods shipped out of state.

I seem to remember there was some talk about this a few years ago where states were getting together to join together for a uniform sales tax for internet sales.  I haven’t heard much about it lately, but when I first looked into it, it was still very complicated.

They already TRIPLE tax workers in NY City:

Besides the Federal and State Income Taxes they have a City income tax too.That alone is why my Dad an MD left Manhattan for Dallas TX.  And yes all it would do is encourage seller that are based in other countries to sell more in NY since they would be shielded from an out of control government that is streching the laws beyond sanity and the court agreed to being a Nexus.  As an online store we have to deal with suspicion of our sites, overcome resistiances of using an online cart unlike shopping in a physical store down the street.  That is their advantage and why they should support the States Tax collection agency.  Oh and why should Retailers in the FIRST PLACE even collect Taxes they dont owe but the customers do owe.  Get Real.In this 21st Century with the electoronic and onlin programming tax agancies could grab the tax when users in their state with registred bank account, there or Credit Card with theie physical address or billing address in NY State and note any online transactions that enter the Credit Card sysstem and see themselves it it is tacable and not and directly collect it from those would might benefit from the Sales Tax being even colleected.  We are not THEIR Hires or employees EITHER.  Let them Collect their OWN SALES TAXES and NOT US FOR THEM.

Here in Indiana the resident is liable for reporting purchases made from other states on their State Income Tax form. The state tries to collect taxes owed from such purchases. I’m sure that only a small percentage of people actually claim anything purchased from out of state. New York should educated their own citizens and taxate them till there’s nothing left to tax. But leave me out I’m just a small town Joe in Indiana.

What ever happened to "taxation without representation". It is one of rights as citizens of this Great Nation of Our’s ( I think??????)

This article was a little unclear, making it sound like every online retailer will have to register.  That is not true.  The key is that Amazon has an affiliate program, where they pay people a commission for referrals to their site.  Since some of their affiliates are in New York, the state is making a case that they have a presence in New York—even though they themselves are not physically there.  This would be a verrrry broad definition of ‘presence’.  The little guys don’t have to worry if they have no office, store, etc. in New York.  I got this info from CNN.

I think this is the pocket-filling thing if i have ever heard of one. Maybe if these politicians would stop being so crooked and stealing money from the taxes they get now this would not even be an issue. I live in NY in the town of Smithtown and property taxes have gone up so much but the roads and such are worse than ever I guess this goes to the $1 million toilet seat the town neads. This state is horribly if they would spend the money the correct way they would not need this stupid tax for the internet.

Fight organized crime!!! Abolish government!!