Amazon new charging Sales Tax in Virginia

Amazon new charging Sales Tax in Virginia .

Suppose Tennessee will follow suit? You betcha! See news article below.

 

If you want to enjoy the sales tax break, better do it now. I have put together a list of some of Amazons best sellers, and if you use these links, a few nickels will trickle my way to put toward my new podcast that is in the works. And it does not cost you one penny more!!

 

I got my order in now for Call of Duty Ghost, and you should too!! $59.96 with this link, http://amzn.to/1ae3bMl  or wait for sales tax and pay nearly $6 more. This link works with any video game and platform.

Or if looking for an HDTV, here is a 40 inch 1080p for $259.00 or wait to be taxed and add $25 to the price, http://amzn.to/1e7nWbL or check out other special buys on other HDTV at this link, http://amzn.to/18lxETa

Or maybe you prefer a real old fashion 100-Watt light bulb? You can’t buy those in retail stores anymore, but you can still get them on Amazon, check this out, reveal 100 watt, http://amzn.to/1a0RrcJ

Full memory foam mattress? I sleep on one and absolutely love it. See Amazon’s GOLD BOX DEALS Check out this price, http://amzn.to/1e7p4Mt

 

Sent by John Hames

 

 

BY JOHN REID BLACKWELL | Richmond Times-Dispatch TriCities.com

If you're looking to buy something on Amazon.com and avoid paying the state sales tax, it's too late.

On Sunday, a change in state law went into effect requiring out-of-state Internet retailers such as Amazon that have business operations in the state to start collecting the 5.3 percent retail sales and use tax, just as bricks-and-mortar stores always have had to do.

"I think it's a long time overdue," said Nancy Thomas, president of the Retail Merchants Association in Richmond.

"Really, the impact on the retail industry is that it finally levels the playing field, at least with Amazon," she said. "This is a great first step. What we really need is a federal bill to level the playing field for good."

Organizations representing traditional retailers lobbied the Virginia General Assembly in 2012 to pass legislation requiring the online sales tax collection.

The legislation was best known for targeting purchases from the Seattle-based Internet retail giant Amazon.com, but some other online sellers with a physical presence in Virginia are affected, too.

The sales tax now applies to out-of-state sellers that maintain a distribution center, warehouse, fulfillment center, office, or similar location in Virginia that facilitates the delivery of tangible personal property.

In late 2012, Amazon opened two large distribution centers in Chesterfield County and Dinwiddie County that fulfill orders for its online customers.

What effect the tax change will have on consumer behavior and the mix of online versus bricks-and-mortar retail sales in Virginia is unclear. It is expected to generate more sales tax revenue, however.

At the time the legislation passed, state officials estimated that Virginia would receive as much as $24 million in additional state and local sales tax revenue.

Traditional retailers are now turning their attention to Congress, where legislation is pending that would allow states to require Internet retailers to collect and remit state and local sales taxes on all online sales, regardless of whether the seller has operations in a state.

The Senate has passed the legislation, called the Marketplace Fairness Act. The House version of the bill is in the Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte, R-6th, who has expressed support for the concept but has concerns about implementation.

Amazon has said it supports the Marketplace Fairness Act, but there is opposition led by online auction and shopping site eBay.

"I do think there is widespread recognition that this issue needs to be addressed," said Rob Shinn, a spokesman for a coalition of retailers called the Alliance for Main Street Fairness. "The fairness issue of having all sales treated the same is really driving a lot of the momentum behind it."

The proposed law could exempt retailers with less than $1 million in revenue from collecting the taxes, and there have been proposals to increase that exemption.

Yet Thomas said the local Retail Merchants Association firmly believes there should be no carve outs. An exemption for online retailers making less than $1 million would create a loophole that could be exploited by larger companies, she said.

"We believe that if you are going to level the playing field, you should level it 100 percent," she said.

jblackwell@timesdispatch.com | 804-775-8123