California v Amazon

[Wiseacre]

You guys saw this, right? This snippet is from Yahoo.com, wonder how many jobs will be lost.


.....California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law Wednesday requiring online businesses to pay state sales tax, calling it “a common sense idea,” but Amazon and other large online retailers said they no longer see the business sense in staying in the Golden State.

Amazon and Overstock.com both announced shortly after the bill was signed that they will be closing all of their affiliate programs in California. Affiliates are small websites and businesses that sell products through sites like Amazon and receive a small commission.

The new law requires large online retailers to collect and file state sales tax on purchases made by California customers. California hopes to raise an estimated $317 million a year in new state and local government revenue through the added sales tax collections.

The State Board of Equalization has estimated there are 25,000 affiliates in California, 10,000 of which make money through an affiliation with Amazon.

Not anymore, though.

“We oppose this bill because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive,” Amazon said in an email to its affiliates. “It is supported by big-box retailers, most of which are based outside California, that seek to harm the affiliate advertising programs of their competitors.”

Overstock.com, a large Utah-based online retailer, sent a similar email to its California affiliates.

“We think this law is unconstitutional,” said Mark Griffin, Overstock’s general counsel, in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News. “We sent a final note to our California affiliates today. It’s a business decision that we had to make.”

 

[bucs90]

AND DOWN GOES ANOTHER ONE!!!!

Like Boeing fleeing Seattle for Charleston, SC, Amazon is also going to South Carolina:

Amazon to bring hundreds of jobs to South Carolina | WCBD-TV 2

Headline: Amazon To Bring Hundreds of Jobs To South Carolina


SC told Amazon they could be excused from the sales tax. In full disclosure, many SC Democrats fought against this. Some moderates and even business owning GOP members didn't like it much. BUT.....all agreed in the end, and Amazon is coming to Columbia SC where it's low tax, non-union, business friendly. Will the SC government miss out on some sales tax dollars from Amazon? Yep. Will hundreds of unemployed SC residents get a job with Amazon? Yep. Will those new, hundreds of employees get an Amazon paycheck, and spend that check at other SC businesses and then send that new sales tax revenue to SC anyway? Yep.


Hey Left Coast: We're in SC cheering you guys on!! Keep tilting left and driving your businesses to us, we'll take it!!!

 

[Skull Pilot]

Good for Amazon.

 

[cutter]

By law kalif can only collect tax from an online seller if he has affiliates in kalif. So now buyers in kalif can still buy with no tax and kalif loses the tax generated by the income those affiliates used to generate. I live in kalif and this state is sooooo screwed up.

 

[Rambunctious]

By law kalif can only collect tax from an online seller if he has affiliates in kalif. So now buyers in kalif can still buy with no tax and kalif loses the tax generated by the income those affiliates used to generate. I live in kalif and this state is sooooo screwed up.

If you live in California maybe you should learn how to spell California. Check your green card for the correct spelling.

 

[bucs90]

California has hot women. Thats it. The rest of the state is a fucking disaster. Unfortunately, the tax money the folks in South Carolina pay will one day bail CA out for their stupidity.

 

[DontBeStupid]

By law kalif can only collect tax from an online seller if he has affiliates in kalif. So now buyers in kalif can still buy with no tax and kalif loses the tax generated by the income those affiliates used to generate. I live in kalif and this state is sooooo screwed up.

I think you have that wrong. I think if an online seller has an affiliate, then the company is responsible for making sure the state tax is passed to California. Meaning, they will just charge sales tax onto the price of whatever you're buying, and then send that to the state every year. I think we will see sales tax on online purchases now, which makes for an interesting court case.

As for Amazon specifically, I don't see why people are cheering about a company running away from paying its fair share of taxes. Why is that a good thing? Also, do you supply-siders honestly think that if Amazon leaves California that the people of California will stop buying books or CDs or crappy plastic kitchen utensils? Obviously they won't. They will go somewhere else. Somewhere, like a brick and mortar store in state, which would result in the state getting the tax revenue anyway.

I don't see the big deal here.

 

[DontBeStupid]

the tax money the folks in South Carolina pay will one day bail CA out for their stupidity.

Seriously?

 

[Wry Catcher]

You guys saw this, right? This snippet is from Yahoo.com, wonder how many jobs will be lost.


.....California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law Wednesday requiring online businesses to pay state sales tax, calling it “a common sense idea,” but Amazon and other large online retailers said they no longer see the business sense in staying in the Golden State.

Amazon and Overstock.com both announced shortly after the bill was signed that they will be closing all of their affiliate programs in California. Affiliates are small websites and businesses that sell products through sites like Amazon and receive a small commission.

The new law requires large online retailers to collect and file state sales tax on purchases made by California customers. California hopes to raise an estimated $317 million a year in new state and local government revenue through the added sales tax collections.

The State Board of Equalization has estimated there are 25,000 affiliates in California, 10,000 of which make money through an affiliation with Amazon.

Not anymore, though.

“We oppose this bill because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive,” Amazon said in an email to its affiliates. “It is supported by big-box retailers, most of which are based outside California, that seek to harm the affiliate advertising programs of their competitors.”

Overstock.com, a large Utah-based online retailer, sent a similar email to its California affiliates.

“We think this law is unconstitutional,” said Mark Griffin, Overstock’s general counsel, in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News. “We sent a final note to our California affiliates today. It’s a business decision that we had to make.”

I don't know how much profit Overstock made on business in CA, but pulling out means their future profit in California is zero. Bye-Bye Mr. Griffin, don't let the Sierra's slow your departure. I'm sure it won't slow down those who fill the vacuum you may leave.

 

[WillowTree]

By law kalif can only collect tax from an online seller if he has affiliates in kalif. So now buyers in kalif can still buy with no tax and kalif loses the tax generated by the income those affiliates used to generate. I live in kalif and this state is sooooo screwed up.

I think you have that wrong. I think if an online seller has an affiliate, then the company is responsible for making sure the state tax is passed to California. Meaning, they will just charge sales tax onto the price of whatever you're buying, and then send that to the state every year. I think we will see sales tax on online purchases now, which makes for an interesting court case.

As for Amazon specifically, I don't see why people are cheering about a company running away from paying its fair share of taxes. Why is that a good thing? Also, do you supply-siders honestly think that if Amazon leaves California that the people of California will stop buying books or CDs or crappy plastic kitchen utensils? Obviously they won't. They will go somewhere else. Somewhere, like a brick and mortar store in state, which would result in the state getting the tax revenue anyway.

I don't see the big deal here.

Taxpayers are tired of Californication, their over taxation and their harboring illegals. Can you give us one good reason why a taxpaying American should get up go to work and then pay his hard earned money to educate, incarcerate or medicate a person who is on our soil illegally? Suck it up California, you decided to be a sanctuary state. No one else decided that for you.

 

[DontBeStupid]

Can you give us one good reason why a taxpaying American should get up go to work and then pay his hard earned money to educate, incarcerate or medicate a person who is on our soil illegally?

It helps them, it helps us and it's the right thing to do.

 

[Wiseacre]

You guys saw this, right? This snippet is from Yahoo.com, wonder how many jobs will be lost.


.....California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law Wednesday requiring online businesses to pay state sales tax, calling it “a common sense idea,” but Amazon and other large online retailers said they no longer see the business sense in staying in the Golden State.

Amazon and Overstock.com both announced shortly after the bill was signed that they will be closing all of their affiliate programs in California. Affiliates are small websites and businesses that sell products through sites like Amazon and receive a small commission.

The new law requires large online retailers to collect and file state sales tax on purchases made by California customers. California hopes to raise an estimated $317 million a year in new state and local government revenue through the added sales tax collections.

The State Board of Equalization has estimated there are 25,000 affiliates in California, 10,000 of which make money through an affiliation with Amazon.

Not anymore, though.

“We oppose this bill because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive,” Amazon said in an email to its affiliates. “It is supported by big-box retailers, most of which are based outside California, that seek to harm the affiliate advertising programs of their competitors.”

Overstock.com, a large Utah-based online retailer, sent a similar email to its California affiliates.

“We think this law is unconstitutional,” said Mark Griffin, Overstock’s general counsel, in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News. “We sent a final note to our California affiliates today. It’s a business decision that we had to make.”

I don't know how much profit Overstock made on business in CA, but pulling out means their future profit in California is zero. Bye-Bye Mr. Griffin, don't let the Sierra's slow your departure. I'm sure it won't slow down those who fill the vacuum you may leave.

I don't think this is true, if Overstock or Amazon has no affiliates in CA, then they can still do business there but will pay no internet taxes. This is from a ruling by the Supreme Court some years ago. CA loses jobs and revenue from all those affiliates.

 

[WillowTree]

Can you give us one good reason why a taxpaying American should get up go to work and then pay his hard earned money to educate, incarcerate or medicate a person who is on our soil illegally?

It helps them, it helps us and it's the right thing to do.

So we are slaves to the illegals. Gotcha.

 

[Trajan]

you would think this states leadership would think and LEARN........they HAD been warned;


* MARCH 11, 2011

Amazon Severing Relationships with Illinois Affiliates

Amazon Takes Action in Illinois as War on Sales Taxes Continues

snip-

Amazon, which is based in Seattle, has fiercely opposed all efforts to force it to collect sales taxes. "We had opposed this new tax law because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive," Amazon said in its letter to Illinois affiliates. "We deeply regret that its enactment forces this action."

The Amazon action has little impact on Illinois consumers. They can continue to buy directly from the company as well as pass through affiliate websites to reach its website, without Amazon collecting sales tax. But Amazon's payments to those websites will be halted.

Illinois has about 9,000 affiliates, said Rebecca Madigan, director of an affiliate trade group called the Performance Marketing Association. She said the Illinois affiliates generated $611 million in advertising revenue in 2009 and tax revenue of $18 million. She estimates that the state will lose 25% to 30% of that tax revenue because the affiliates will lose business, cut jobs or move out of the state.

"It has a devastating impact," Ms. Madigan said of the new Illinois law.

Gov. Quinn had argued that the law would "put Illinois-based businesses on a level playing field, protect and create jobs and help us continue to grow in the global marketplace." Representatives for the Gov. Quinn couldn't be reached for comment after Amazon's move.

A 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling said that retailers have to collect sales taxes in a state only if they have a substantial physical "nexus" there. The new Illinois law established marketing affiliates as nexuses. Amazon has referred to these affiliates as "advertisers."

Amazon's stance against collecting sales tax has drawn the ire of brick-and-mortar retailers, who complain the company has an unfair business advantage over rivals that collect sales taxes. Meanwhile, lawmakers have become more determined to make the online giant collect taxes to help address budget shortfalls that have become big problems for many states.

snip-

California legislators are also considering enacting similar legislation. Amazon said Thursday that it will drop California affiliates if the law passes, as the company has previously warned.

more at-

Amazon Severing Relationships with Illinois Affiliates - WSJ.com


this state is run by idiots...

 

[DontBeStupid]

Can you give us one good reason why a taxpaying American should get up go to work and then pay his hard earned money to educate, incarcerate or medicate a person who is on our soil illegally?

It helps them, it helps us and it's the right thing to do.

So we are slaves to the illegals. Gotcha.

You should work on being more overly dramatic.

 

[daveman]

AND DOWN GOES ANOTHER ONE!!!!

Like Boeing fleeing Seattle for Charleston, SC, Amazon is also going to South Carolina:

Amazon to bring hundreds of jobs to South Carolina | WCBD-TV 2

Headline: Amazon To Bring Hundreds of Jobs To South Carolina


SC told Amazon they could be excused from the sales tax. In full disclosure, many SC Democrats fought against this. Some moderates and even business owning GOP members didn't like it much. BUT.....all agreed in the end, and Amazon is coming to Columbia SC where it's low tax, non-union, business friendly. Will the SC government miss out on some sales tax dollars from Amazon? Yep. Will hundreds of unemployed SC residents get a job with Amazon? Yep. Will those new, hundreds of employees get an Amazon paycheck, and spend that check at other SC businesses and then send that new sales tax revenue to SC anyway? Yep.


Hey Left Coast: We're in SC cheering you guys on!! Keep tilting left and driving your businesses to us, we'll take it!!!

Good for Amazon, and good for SC.

Note to California: Keep beating your dog, then act all surprised when it bites you and runs away.

 

[Trajan]

It helps them, it helps us and it's the right thing to do.

So we are slaves to the illegals. Gotcha.

You should work on being more overly dramatic.

and you should work on practicing what you preach don't be stupid.

 

[daveman]

Can you give us one good reason why a taxpaying American should get up go to work and then pay his hard earned money to educate, incarcerate or medicate a person who is on our soil illegally?

It helps them, it helps us and it's the right thing to do.

And leftists wonder why people say they're soft on crime.

 

[WillowTree]

I visited Californication just recently. I wanted to purchase a small DVD player so I could watch a movie on the airplane on the return trip home. Cost in California $179.00 before taxes. Amazon had the same product. $139.00 NO taxes and NO shipping. Guess who got my business?

 

[WillowTree]

Can you give us one good reason why a taxpaying American should get up go to work and then pay his hard earned money to educate, incarcerate or medicate a person who is on our soil illegally?

It helps them, it helps us and it's the right thing to do.

And leftists wonder why people say they're soft on crime.

He forgot to mention they need the votes!