In response to pressure from local businesses, many states have passed laws that aim to force Amazon to collect sales taxes… Amazon has stopped fighting the sales-tax war… Why would Amazon give up its precious tax advantage? …
Amazon has a new game. Now that it has agreed to collect sales taxes, the company can legally set up warehouses right inside some of the largest metropolitan areas in the nation. Why would it want to do that? Because Amazon’s new goal is to get stuff to you immediately—as soon as a few hours after you hit Buy.
In other words, Amazon is trading business models: before, they sold goods at lower prices, but people had to wait longer to receive them. Soon, they’ll sell goods at the same prices, but people will get them almost immediately (faster, apparently in some cases, than getting in your car and driving to the store).
I’m a member of Amazon Prime and do nearly all my shopping on Amazon – electronics, clothes, non-perishable foods, pet stuff, garden supplies, gifts, books, cleaning things, apartment decorations and more.
I’ve been horrified over the past year at the thought of having to pay sales tax on items I buy from Amazon. Like most people, I assumed that they were buckling state by state under pressure from politicians and advocacy groups. But if Amazon Prime goes from free two-day shipping to free same-day or one-day shipping, in exchange for paying sales tax, that’s something I could accept.
Comments?