PHOENIX — The Arizona Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a bill that would require Amazon.com to collect sales tax on purchases made by Arizona residents.
The bill is supported by brick-and-mortar merchants who say thousands of jobs are at stake.
The bill doesn't identify Seattle-based Amazon by name. But it would classify Amazon as an in-state retailer for tax purposes because a subsidiary has distribution centers in Arizona.
Amazon contends it doesn't have to collect sales tax on sales to Arizonans because the parent company doesn't have a physical presence in the state.
And a lobbyist for the company says the bill would violate an Arizona state constitutional prohibition on bills targeting specific individuals or companies.
Senate passage would send the bill to the House.
Suelee posted at 9:46 am on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
I am tired of being the accounting department for Amazon.com. Last year I had to keep all receipts from Amazon and other retailers online that fail to collect AZ sales tax so that I could fill out this year's AZ income tax and know what goes on the line for "user fees" (sales taxes that these retailers fail to report). Why am I doing their bookkeeping for them? Other large companies, such as Sears, Pennys, etc know how to calculate, collect, and report sales tax for online purchases, so Amazon should be able to do the same.
Amazon's claim that they do not have a physical presence in AZ is misleading. They have multiple physical distribution centers here and customers here, so they should just own-up, man-up and save their customers the hassle of doing Amazon's bookkeeping duties for them.
JoeMon posted at 10:45 am on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
Amazon will just do what they did in California. Threaten to close down all locations in AZ and cost all those people their jobs and cost the state the income tax those jobs generate.
I'm glad they don't charge sales tax. If I by a $1000 TV, I really don't see why AZ deserves 90-100 dollars. Maybe if AZ's sales tax weren't so ridiculously high, I would buy locally and not online. I will never buy a new car in this state.
High sales taxes here only hurt the overall economy in my opinion.