Far be it for a Democrat to see a dollar that they didn't
want to tax... The moving trucks continue to leave
Illinois... This is after their recent massive income tax
increase...
Since ineternet sales cut sales taxes in the state, and I
believe you pushed the sales tax as the Fair tax, a replacement
for the income tax, think about it. Or was that Ross Cassell?
Either way, non-payment of tax on internet sales puts internet
business in a better position than local stores. Since when
should the government make policy that gives an advantage to one
form over the other?
...
Illinois Governor Signs Amazon Internet Sales Tax Law
Mar. 10 2011 - 6:33 pm
By JANET NOVACK
After two-months of fence-sitting, Illinois Governor Pat
Quinn today signed controversial legislation requiring
Internet retailers like Amazon.com and Overstock.com to
collect IllinoisÆ 6.25% sales tax if they have affiliate
sellers in the state. House Bill 3659, the Mainstreet
mortar retailers, who supported it, and Illinois-based
Internet-only businesses, who warned that if Quinn didnÆt
veto it some of them would flee the state. Had Quinn done
...
Chicago-based CouponCabin.com called the GovernorÆs
approval of the bill ôdeeply disappointingö and said he is
ôactively exploringö moving his seven year- old business to
Indiana. Kluth, a long time resident of Chicago, had
previously threatened such a move, telling Forbes, ôI can
see Indiana form the roof of our business.ö
And how many employees will lose their jobs? If he can see
Indiana from the roof of his business then the answer should be
zero.
But Quinn, a Democrat, described the law as necessary to
put the stateÆs ômain street businessesö on ôa level
playing fieldö with online retailers and to protect main
street jobs. In a statement issued by QuinnÆs office, David
Which happens to be true.
...
in 2008. While Amazon has been challenging (so far
unsuccessfully) the constitutionality of that law in court,
it has kept its New York affiliates and now collects New
York sales tax on purchases shipped to the Empire State.
(It also collects for shipments to its home state of
Washington, as well as North Dakota, Kansas, and Kentucky.)
...
addition to California, the states of Arizona, Connecticut,
Hawaii, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Vermont are all now
considering Amazon laws.
IOW, as more states enact such laws either Amazon will collect
the tax, or Amazon will have no affiliates.
As Forbes suggested here, AmazonÆs days of sales tax
collection free selling may be numbered for another reason:
AmazonÆs growing network of warehouse and fulfillment
centers. Last year, the Texas Comptroller sent Amazon a
bill for $269 million for four years of back sales taxes,
based on an Amazon warehouse there. Amazon insists the
warehouse doesnÆt give it nexus. But last Month, it told
its Texas employees that it would close the warehouse,
throwing 110 of them out of work.
Let's see. 110 workers, at $25K/yr, (not an unreasonable
estimate for warehouse workers in Texas for an online retailer),
equals about $2.75mill/yr. Over the 4 years, that's $11mill. Now
$11mill against $269mill???? Hell, they can hire all 110 for a
state run warehouse for online retailers just off the sales tax
Amazon paid, with $250 mill profit. Well worth it.
Thursday 10 P.M. update: According to Amazon spokeswoman
Mary Osako, the retailer has now sent an e-mail to its
thousands of Illinois associates stating QuinnÆs signing of
the law ôcompelsö it to terminate them. The message reads
in part:
...
AmazonÆs e-mail also invites the Illinois associates to
apply for reinstatement should they relocate from the state.
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Which may cost the state maybe a few hundred jobs, if they all
leave. OTOH, any that are not on the border already will
probably find it cheaper to run without Amazon.
BOB KLAHN
bob.klahn@sev.org http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn
... "His death is irrelevant, Jim." - McCoy of Borg
--- Via Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]
* Origin: Since 1991 And Were Still Here! DOCSPLACE.TZO.COM (1:123/140)