Which means it effectively costs me more to patronize a on-line store in my own state.
I'm not arguing that no taxes are being collected. I'm arguing that the taxes that are being collected unfairly biased against local retailers, even on-line retailers local to the state.
We end up shipping stuff across the country, which helps drive up fuel costs, because the shipping costs are lower than the sales taxes.
Large on-line retailers end up carefully selecting where to put distribution centers, not based on the shortest distance to ship things, or the most efficient way to get things to customers, but based on how they can avoid an in state presence for the greatest number of their customers.
I appreciate that, because I am from Massachusetts, and even my generosity has its limits. As it is, I pay local taxes, state taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, punishment taxes, phone taxes and other "temporary" WWII taxes, and $4000 a year for what is considered a starter hovel in Today's RE market. That's OK, though, because it is for the children and the Teachers' Unions.
If once in a while, just once on an ocassional online purchase, I am not taxed, Society will not collapse. At least we are getting some value from the shipping charges, because UPS et al pay their employees, who spend the money back into the system. In my state, where does the money go, and what good does it do? It just gets thrown down a hole in the ground of one kind or another.
Imagine the state tax collectors awakening at night with sweats and terrors at the thought that somewhere at that very moment, someone might be avoiding a nickel's worth of tax!
Local retailers who runs their businesses right and who know how to take care of their customers should have no fear. I suspect the real squealing is coming from the marginal businesses who may not deserve to be in Retail, and whose customers would flee _anywhere_, if they had a chance. Neighborhood stores with bad attitudes and high prices do not deserve protection, if they have been coasting along on a captive market all this time.