Arizona retailers: Amazon sales tax deal levels playing field
AMAZON-TAXES
Gayle Shanks, co-owner of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, said she's glad Arizona has reached an agreement for Amazon.com to collect state sales tax. She said not collecting state sales tax gives the online giant an unfair price advantage.
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SiDGreat posted at 9:29 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
This won't make that big of a difference for the brick-mortar places. They will still be used to 'test-drive' products - but it may drive business away from Amazon
xyno posted at 9:38 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
All online retailers should be forced to collect sales tax.
Katydid52 posted at 10:05 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Most items I purchase online are cheaper than in the stores - and by more than 7%. Amazon sells used books also, so a book in the store that is $25 might be $5 used. Sites that sell supplements are often far cheaper than stores for the same exact item and brand.
I don't have a problem with Amazon, or any other online retailer, collecting tax, but it really doesn't do much to the "playing field".
xyno posted at 11:58 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Katy, it does a lot to level the playing field. The "brick and mortar" stores have always had to collect sales tax, property tax, ect. Those online places you buy your viagra from don't pay. That's not fair
hamguy posted at 12:46 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Level the field or not, I'm tired of Arizona grabbing every chance they can to tax something and then wasting the money. I agree to tax in principal but not in the hands of these spendthrifts. As far as taxing online stuff, doesn't much matter as the online store has a much lower overhead anyway so will always be a bit ahead. I don't like online shopping because of the shipping and the robo operators if there is a problem. Give me brick and mortar that meets my needs and I'll always use it first.
mouseman42 posted at 12:53 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
While the fact the department of revenue has reached this agreement, helping out the state is a good thing, it will have zero affect on Brick and mortar business. anyone who thinks People are shopping on line for the reduced tax benefit are only fooling themselves. Online sales is much more about convenience.
People are NOT making the drive to a B&M store, looking at the price, pulling out a calculator and working out the cost with tax. If they do any comparison, they are comparing the listed price to what they can find online... a price comparison that does not involve tax.
The 'Myth' that people use B&M stores to 'window shop' and then are buying online, is a 'pity party' that retailers are telling themselves to feel better about why their business is going down, instead of doing research into their customers and supplying what they want... how they want it.
Most online sales is about convenience that the B&M retailers are not providing their customers. Taxes have little to no affect in that equation.
Melete posted at 4:35 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Not so much... For me, in the post-layoff, permanently underemployed world, it simply means that things I could sort of afford if I didn't have to pay taxes and shipping become things I obviously can't afford. I won't buy them from Amazon, but I won't buy them from anyone else, either. I'll just do without.
Some of us won't pony up money we don't have. Business owners will need to provide some jobs to make it possible for us to buy from them.
Rich posted at 10:13 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Since the fifties, the art of literature has been held captive by corporate publishing and brick and mortar stores. When it opens up, lets artists take a shot at the money, what happens, the entrenched interests have to get in it. This is just censorship, it's keeping the indie artists and publishers from the market, freezing out art, literature. At least recognize what it is. It is an attempt to keep control of the art of literature. It's sick, an attempt to freeze your society. How many POD books do you have on the shelves Gayle? The people who lose money and time for artistic dreams, how many of them Gayle? This is a giant step backwards for an entire society, for art. The competition is from people who maybe get ten bucks every two months for their dreams. Amazon gives them a shot. And you're letting the politicos take it away. Shame on you!