Search Results for: amazon sales tax

Revisiting the Texas-Amazon sales tax deal

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman looks back and concludes it was a pretty good deal all around. In 2012, the state rolled the dice on a controversial deal with e-commerce giant Amazon.com. To end a two-year battle, Texas said it would drop a … Continue reading →

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News flash: The Amazon sales tax problem requires a federal solution

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

How many times do we have to say it? State governments across the country are laying off teachers, closing public libraries and parks, and reducing health care services, but there is one place they could get $23 billion if they … Continue reading →

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Perry vetos Amazon sales tax bill

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he did. Gov. Rick Perry has vetoed legislation that was aimed at tightening the state’s rules on when online retailers must collect sales taxes on Texas transactions, the bill’s author said this morning. Perry had earlier criticized Comptroller … Continue reading →

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Senate passes Amazon sales tax bill

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Senate has overwhelmingly passed a measure aimed at tightening the state’s rules on when online businesses must collect sales tax. Senators voted 30-1 [Friday] to pass House Bill 2403, a measure that originated with Rep. John Otto, … Continue reading →

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Amazon starts collecting sales tax today

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We are in a new era. Beginning Sunday, Texans will see state and local sales taxes show up on their taxable Amazon purchases — the result of a deal with the state comptroller’s office that resolved the e-commerce giant’s past … Continue reading →

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Amazon offering a bribe to keep its sales tax exemption

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Well, what would you call this? Amazon.com is negotiating a deal with Texas officials that would see the online retail giant promise to bring more than 5,000 jobs and $300 million in capital investments to the state over the next … Continue reading →

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Bill in US Senate to make Amazon pay sales taxes

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As someone who believes that online retailers like Amazon should collect sales taxes and who believes that federal action will be needed to make that happen, I’m glad to see this. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says he plans … Continue reading →

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House defies Perry over Amazon and sales taxes

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is a pleasant surprise. Breaking with Gov. Rick Perry, the Texas House today refused to kill a provision that aims to tighten the state’s rules on when online retailers like Amazon.com must collect sales taxes. The vote could force … Continue reading →

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More on Amazon and the sales tax

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From Slate: Amazon has aggressively fought state efforts to impose sales tax on its operations. In 2008, New York passed a law that required online companies to collect taxes if they had deals with marketing affiliates based in the state. … Continue reading →

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New frontiers in strip club tax collections

Posted on July 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

A new-ish development in a decade-long battle. Dozens of “bikini bars” from Houston to San Antonio are suing the state after the Texas Comptroller accused them of skirting the so-called pole tax on nude entertainment and slapped them with seven-figure … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS and sales taxes

Posted on June 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This ruling will be good for Texas. Texas stands to gain hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue after the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that states may force online retailers to collect sales tax even when they … Continue reading →

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Amazon fulfills its end of the deal with Texas

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. Nine months after it struck a deal with the state to bring thousands of jobs and invest millions of dollars in Texas, online retail giant Amazon.com on Wednesday unveiled the first steps toward keeping its end of … Continue reading →

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Amazon wine

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You may soon be able to order wine from Amazon.com, depending on where you live. Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -0.88% is planning an online marketplace for wine sales directly to consumers, said executives for several California wineries, marking the Seattle Web … Continue reading →

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Once more with the margins tax and the Supreme Court

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. The Texas Supreme Court could blow a hole in the state’s budget if it finds the business tax unconstitutional, as pressed Tuesday in a lawsuit led by food giant Nestlé USA. “The Legislature can’t violate the … Continue reading →

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We better hope Amazon sticks to its deal with Texas

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Remember that deal Amazon made with the state to start charging sales tax here and to commit to creating 2,500 jobs in return for having back taxes forgiven? Apparently, there’s not much in the deal to make them regret it … Continue reading →

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Is the Amazon deal with the state legal?

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman raises a great question about the settlement deal between Amazon and the state of Texas that will get the online retailer to start collecting sales taxes in Texas while forgiving back taxes the state says it owes. But … Continue reading →

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Amazon settles up with Texas

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Amazon.com will start collecting sales taxes from Texas customers this summer and agreed to make capital investments of $200 million and create 2,500 jobs in the state over the next four years, Comptroller Susan Combs announced this morning. In … Continue reading →

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Our long Amazonian nightmare may finally be over

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Negotiations are in progress to get Amazon to pay something like its fair share. Amazon.com is negotiating with the state to start paying Texas sales taxes on online sales and to create some jobs in the state, reviving talks that … Continue reading →

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Amazon cuts a deal with California

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Amazon.com cut a tentative deal with legislative leaders Wednesday night that would allow it to postpone collecting sales taxes from Californians for another year. The company in turn would drop its battle to overturn the state’s new law that … Continue reading →

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Amazon to push for ballot initiative in California

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I believe we are entering “last refuge of the scoundrel” territory here. Amazon said [last] Monday that it would back a California ballot initiative that would roll back a new state law that forces more online retailers to collect sales … Continue reading →

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Amazon versus California

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s getting real in the Golden State. Saying it won’t force California customers to pay sales tax on their Internet purchases, Amazon.com is severing ties with 10,000 small businesses and individuals here who funnel shoppers to the online bazaar through … Continue reading →

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Senate not inclined to accept Amazon’s bribe

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. It looks like the Texas Legislature is likely to say no — at least for now — to Amazon.com’s proposal to bring 5,000 jobs to the state in exchange for a temporary break on collecting sales tax. … Continue reading →

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Amazon versus the states

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Street takes a look at the national picture of Amazon’s battles with states over collecting sales taxes. In the past, Amazon has been protected by a 1992 Supreme Court ruling (Quill Corporation v. North Dakota) that prohibits a state … Continue reading →

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Amazon complains to the SEC about Texas trying to collect taxes on it

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Poor dears. Amazon said in a regulatory filing this week that the SEC is looking into its dispute with Texas, which began last year when the Texas comptroller’s office sent Amazon a $269 million assessment for four years of uncollected … Continue reading →

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Lege approves separate online sales tax bills

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. Taking a stand against Internet retailers like Amazon.com, the Texas House moved Tuesday to tighten the state’s rules on when online businesses must collect sales tax. By voting 122-23 to pass House Bill 2403 by Rep. John … Continue reading →

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Amazon not gone yet

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. Amid its fight with the state over collecting tax on online sales, Amazon.com had said it would close its distribution center in Irving this week, resulting in the loss of 119 jobs. As of Wednesday, … Continue reading →

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The arbitrariness of our tax code

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Wick Allison points out the winners and losers in Texas’ tax code. Suppose you’re a young artist and you want to create a video installation. To do it, you have to buy lighting equipment. You will pay a sales tax. … Continue reading →

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House ponders what to do about Amazon

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

My guess is that they ultimately won’t do anything this session, but it’s good to see the matter discussed by the Ways and Means Committee. If nothing else, it may lay the groundwork for a future session. House Bill 1317 … Continue reading →

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Taking sides on Amazon

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Lege weighs in on Amazon, with opposing bills. House Bill 2719, filed [Wednesday] afternoon by state Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, would favor Amazon’s efforts to avoid collecting tax for online sales by amending the state tax code to say … Continue reading →

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More on Combs v. Perry over Amazon

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has a good story that explains the background of the Perry-Combs smackdown over Amazon. There’s another player in this fight, and they’re on the Comptroller’s side: Retailers who charge sales taxes employ thousands of Texans, and some of … Continue reading →

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Amazon abandons Texas

Posted on February 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

More job losses, and we haven’t even started firing teachers yet. Online retail giant Amazon.com will close its suburban Dallas distribution center amid a dispute with the state over millions in uncollected state sales taxes, The Associated Press reported Thursday. … Continue reading →

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Amazon sues Texas

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. Four months after Texas officials told Amazon.com Inc. that it owes $269 million in uncollected sales taxes, the online retail giant has filed a lawsuit demanding that the comptroller’s office release the audit information it used in arriving … Continue reading →

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Amazon was just the beginning

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I agree with this. By telling retail giant Amazon.com that it owes $269 million in uncollected sales taxes, the State of Texas has waded into the national debate over taxing Internet sales. The state comptroller’s office said it has sent … Continue reading →

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Texas tells Amazon to pay up

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Well, that’s one way to attack the budget deficit. Texas has sent Amazon.com Inc. a $269 million bill for uncollected sales taxes on purchases made by state residents from the Seattle-based Internet superstore over a four-year period. […] R.J. DeSilva, … Continue reading →

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