Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval Reaches Agreement to Tax Amazon.com

Governor Brian Sandoval (R-NV) from
LVRJ.com

Boy, does this one ever have me torn. On one hand, as a liberal, I can acknowledge that the untaxed nature of items for sale on the internet is hurting states (who are missing out on taxes), and is hurting brick-and-mortar businesses (who are being undersold). Taxing purchases like this seems fair. On the other hand, I'm a big online shopper for just about anything that has free or low shipping charges. Seriously, I got my 60" TV that way, a big electric roaster oven, just about all books, movies, music and printer inks. My local purchases have been reduced to groceries, and any item I just don't want to wait 2-5 days for. Amazon.com has become my primary retailer for things I don't get on eBay, essentially, including most Christmas purchases.

So, when this tax goes into effect, part of the benefit of going on Amazon will have been removed. I'm sure I'll comparison shop a little more, and may resort to eBay on pricier items. Or hey, I might even shop locally, if there isn't a price difference with tax. But hey, I really kind of feel like I've gotten a free ride up 'til now, so like I said, I'm torn.

The bigger question is, what do conservative Republicans think? I mean, this is essentially a huge new tax, levied by a Republican governor with aspirations to higher office. Isn't this a huge black mark? It'll be interesting to see if this haunts Sandoval.

[Excerpt]

Gov. Sandoval reaches sales tax deal with Amazon
 
Gov. Brian Sandoval and Internet sales giant Amazon announced an agreement Monday to allow the state to start collecting sales taxes on the company's Internet sales to Nevada customers beginning in 2014. In addition, Sandoval and Paul Misener, Amazon's vice president of global public policy, said they will work together to induce Congress to pass a law allowing the states to collect sales taxes on all Internet purchases. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Review-Journal