Texas Comptroller & Amazon.com Agreement brings 2500 jobs & Millions in Investments to TX

Texas Conservative Republican News ^ | 4/27/12 | David Bellow

[davidbellow]

Not long ago it was discovered that Amazon was operating a facility in Texas without paying sales tax. This of course was a problem because everyone else in Texas pays sales tax, including the small local bookstores. A little over a year later, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs has announced an agreement with Amazon that settles the tax dispute and will bring 2,500 new jobs to Texas and $200 million in capital investments. This is great news for the Texas economy. This is also great news for Amazon.com because Texas is very business friendly and Amazon will enjoy a great environment in which to do business. Texas has fared much better than other states in this economic downturn and many companies are moving to Texas to enjoy the business friendly environment.

Susan Combs and Amazon also went a step further by calling on Congress to make a more simplified and more equitable framework that protects states' rights.

Press Release from Texas Comptroller Susan Combs Regarding Amazon Agreement:

Online Retailer and Texas Leadership Call for Federal Action on Sales Tax

(AUSTIN, TX and SEATTLE, WA) — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs and Amazon.com, Inc. today announced an agreement that will lead to the creation of thousands of new jobs in Texas by the online retailer.

According to the agreement between the Comptroller of Public Accounts and Amazon, the Company plans over the next four years to create at least 2,500 jobs and make at least $200 million in capital investments in the state and will begin to collect and remit Texas sales tax on July 1, 2012. The agreement resolves all sales tax issues between Texas and Amazon.

“We thank Amazon for partnering with us to find a solution that works for our state,” said Combs. “This is an important step in leveling the playing field in Texas; however, Congress should enact federal legislation that will give states access to revenues that are already due, which would resolve this issue fairly for all retailers and all states.”

“Amazon looks forward to creating thousands of new jobs in Texas and we appreciate Comptroller Combs working with us to advance federal legislation,” said Amazon Vice President of Global Public Policy Paul Misener. “We strongly support the creation of a simplified and equitable federal framework, because Congressional action will protect states’ rights, level the playing field for all sellers, and give states like Texas the ability to obtain all the sales tax revenue that is already due.”

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial.

Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. The new latest generation Kindle is the lightest, most compact Kindle ever and features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight. Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes – still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch 3G is the top of the line e-reader and offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch, with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G.

Kindle Fire is the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games and web browsing with all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, Amazon Silk (Amazon’s new revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser), vibrant color touch screen, and powerful dual-core processor.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

[samtheman]

Go, Texas!

Go, Perry!

[NonValueAdded]

Susan Combs and Amazon also went a step further by calling on Congress to make a more simplified and more equitable framework that protects states' rights.

And just what the heck does that mean? Vapid gubermint speak about the right to tax you anywhere, anytime? Texas or not, I trust a politician very little.

And this is just a press release - are we the right wing of PR Newswire?

[phalynx]

Amazon will start collecting sales tax July 1st..... oooooh.... yay........ The beginning of the end for Amazon. Sad. I loved Amazon.

[TADSLOS]

Combs has to balance the books somehow to make up for Perry’s sleazy ag loans and jobs for money deals via ETF/TEF, not to mention the 1.2 M he still owes back to the citizens of Texas for his private DPS security detail expenses while on the campaign boondoggle.

[MamaTexan]

The beginning of the end for Amazon. Sad. I loved Amazon.

Me too. Guess we'll be finding somewhere else to spend the bulk of our Christmas budget this year...

if we HAVE a Christmas budget after all the governments get through taking what they think is 'theirs'.

[kcvl]

Court Tosses Out Unconstitutional Internet Tax in Illinois

A new online sales tax in Illinois was shot down in court as unconstitutional and running afoul of the Internet Tax Freedom Act.

http://atr.org/court-tosses-unconstitutional-internet-tax-illinois-a6865#ixzz1tGXUx4fh

******

Amazon Tax Case Could Go to Supreme Court

http://www.accountingtoday.com/news/Amazon-Tax-Case-Could-Hit-Supreme-Court-54139-1.html

[sand88]

Amazon will start collecting sales tax July 1st..... oooooh.... yay........ The beginning of the end for Amazon. Sad. I loved Amazon.

I buy a lot through Amazon. One of the benefits is that the parasite political class at the state level is denied $$ to waste. It is one of the reasons I shop at Amazon.

The day Amazon starts collecting tax is the day I shop around (ebay, others) to get what I need without the tax.

The political parasite class at the local, state and federal level is killing Capitalism. The parasites NEVER EVER have enough of our money. They do nothing to earn it.

[Hulka]

Not sure how this works.

As far as I know, Texas has a “business tax” assessed on internet sales in state, however, for sales to locations outside the state there are no sales tax.

[Mad Dawgg]

OK here is how I understand how State Sales tax works for internet sales.

My Business is located in Ohio. I sell a deck of game cards to someone in Ohio over the Internet I must charge them Ohio Sales tax.

I sell an identical pack of cards to someone in Michigan and ship it to them I don't Charge them sales tax because I am not a licensed business in Michigan AND the Constitution says no fess or taxes well be levied by states on goods that were purchased in another state. However the State can charge its own Citizens a Sales tax on goods they bought out of state (which means I am not required to charge the out of state sales tax and then pay it to Michigan but the citizens of Michigan are required to pay it.)

Now if Amazon has Sales Operations in Texas then they are subject to collecting Taxes for all Amazon products that are Bought by Residents of Texas.

[Hulka]

Thanks. Appreciate the info.

[lonestar]

Twenty years ago I ordered health foods on a monthly basis from Canada and was charged no sales tax.

After a year or two, the company started charging sales tax and sent local taxes according to zip code. Just sayin'.