[FatherofFive]

If I were a retailer here in Tulsa, I would have to collect 8.5% sales tax on every transaction. I could compete against Amazon on service and other variables. But Amazon doesn't have to charge that 8.5% tax. That is just not right or fair.

[a fool in paradise]

Amazon has a brick and mortar presence in any state that has a Whole Foods. They may still have a presence with their warehouses and distibution services even without WF.

How many states is Amazon not collecting sales tax in these days?

[chrisser]

"If I were a retailer here in Tulsa, I would have to collect 8.5% sales tax on every transaction. I could compete against Amazon on service and other variables. But Amazon doesn't have to charge that 8.5% tax. That is just not right or fair. "

True, but by definition, the out of state retailer must ship the product to the consumer. Aside from the shipping costs, there's the time delay. Those factor into consumer decisions. If we're really concerned about absolute fairness, then maybe we should force in-state retailers to pay an additional tax on sales from inventory to offset the cost of shipping and the inability to deliver at the moment of the transaction to the out of state retailers.

I'm not suggesting that, only trying to point out that fairness can be interpreted broadly.

If fairness was really the goal, then the focus would be on collecting sales tax at the state from which the product ships, not the state to which the product is delivered. The delivery companies are already paying taxes to cover that part of the transaction. The destination state isn't paying anything for the costs of running the business in the source state. If taxes are to be collected, it should be where the business doing the shipping resides.

Of course, that wouldn't be "fair" to states with high sales taxes...

[IYAS9YAS]

But Amazon doesn't have to charge that 8.5% tax. That is just not right or fair.

Unless Amazon is physically located in your state, they don't have to. The customer then is responsible for paying the tax due. The issue is between the state and the consumer, not the retailer from out of state.