Nice post, but why not just have a base sales tax across the board? I’m not an expert on tax issues by far, but can’t the Federal Government just place a base sales tax on all internet purchases for all 50 states? So, no matter where you live, you have to pay X-amount of a percentage on your purchases…then they can divide it and individually pay all the states???

Yeah, sounds too easy so I’m sure it’s not that simple…

The question about this Amazon tax is also the constitutionally of it. Can a state force an online retailer to collect tax. And furthermore, does an affiliate link on a website count as a substantial Nexus? The keyword being “substantial”.

Let us understand that a New York “owned” website (the owner who operates the website and lives in NY) does not directly market or intentionally market to just New Yorkers, but the entire world, so how do affiliate links count as a “store front” or substantial nexus if the eyes of New York law makers. It seems to me that they just don’t get it.

Ok, you caught me, I’m a New York affiliate who got fired from Overstock the very day this BS law went into effect and lost a lot of money, time, and sleep… but still have my Amazon links and make a significant income with them. Thanks for keeping us thus far Amazon.com!

This is how I make my living and provide for my family.

Technically speaking, the actual “physical presence” of some of my websites (or store fronts) in this case are hosted in Canada.

This may seem a bit silly, but facts are facts, and if you want to get technical then little details like that have to be added into the equation.

Let’s see where this goes. But sooner or later I’m going to have to establish main residency in Delaware where a law like this will never pass.

-Dave