March 8, 2010
CNet.com Highlights Tax Foundation Special Report on Amazon Taxes
"More states propose Internet sales taxes"
By Declan McCullagh
Jeremy Bray received an e-mail message this morning with an unwelcome surprise: Amazon.com told him it had canceled its affiliate program, which provides small payments for referring customers, for everyone in the state of Colorado.
The reason? A state law, which Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter signed last week, slaps onerous new restrictions on large out-of-state sellers like Amazon, which said it has no choice but to end its marketing program in response. ...
Colorado is not alone. Fifteen other states have considered or are considering enacting laws targeting Amazon and other e-commerce companies that typically do not charge sales tax for shipments sent outside their home state, according to a report released Monday. Four states including Colorado have already enacted them.
"I see this as a trend moving along -- a lot of states are considering doing it, said Joseph Henchman, director of state projects at the non-partisan Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C., which published the report. But, Henchman says, the laws "won't solve short-term budget problems, they signal business-unfriendliness, and they're probably unconstitutional."