[lbo-talk] Dean Baker on how Amazon's tax subsidy > its profit

[Gar Lipow]

On 11/2/07, Miles Jackson <cqmv at pdx.edu> wrote:
> Huh?  I recently moved to Washington State, and state sales tax was
> included in my Amazon order last week (a MP3 player for my daughter's
> birthday).  Does it work differently in different states?
>

Yes it does, fellow Washington State resident. Amazon is headquartered
in Seattle. Thus Washington State residents have to pay sales tax on
Amazon purchases. But not residents of the other 49 states. (It may be
the destination of the purchase rather than the residency of the
purchaser that counts. Washington State law on this is weird and I
don't remember the details. But being in, or shipping to the State
Amazon is located in makes the difference.) This applies to other
states too. Internet purchases from an internet dealer in the
purchasers state voids the sales tax exemption.