WebProNews

The New York State Legislature wants Amazon to collect sales taxes from New York buyers, despite Amazon not having a physical presence in the state.

3freester

Amazon too big for its own good - that doesn't make sense at all.   This is NOT unique to Amazon.  the state is just going after Amazon because they stand to get a LOT of revenue from them.  There is nothing special about Amazon that allows them not to pay sales tax to state of NY.

The state of NY does NOT have the right to force a business that has no physical presence in NY to collect taxes for them.  It is THEIR job to collect taxes from residents that buy stuff on the internet and don't pay sales tax.  It appears that NY is arguing that having affiliates who live in NY means they have a physical presence.

As an online retailer, I would just prohibit anybody who lives in NY from being an affiliate of mine.  Then there is no argument that my site has a physical presence in NY.

Its not that us online retailers don't want to pay sales taxes.  Its just that we cannot keep track of 50 different states with so many different rates. Some with county and local sales tax too.  Also states don't all tax the same types of items.  Some charge tax on clothes, some don't.  Some food is taxed, some not and the classification of what is food varies from state to state.