But the point is that if Amazon does not have a physical presence in State X, then it isn't 'consuming' any infrastructure in that state. And let's keep in mind that Amazon wouldn't pay the sales tax; they'd be required to collect it and remit it to State X -- a costly operation -- and Amazon would receive nothing in return. By what right should State X be able to force Amazon to act as its uncompensated tax collector?
That is one of the points I make in such discussions. First, as the article concedes, sales taxes permit a business's employees and owners to "enjoy the fruits of local taxes — police and fire protection, roads, hospitals, and other infrastructure that make its operations possible." Therefore, if a business is not physically located within a state, there is no justification for forcing it to collect and remit money to that state.
There is also, it seems to me, the issue of forcing that business to act as the uncompensated tax collector for that state. By what legal right can a state compel a business to work for it without compensation?
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But the point is that if Amazon does not have a physical presence in State X, then it isn't 'consuming' any infrastructure in that state. And let's keep in mind that Amazon wouldn't pay the sales tax; they'd be required to collect it and remit it to State X -- a costly operation -- and Amazon would receive nothing in return. By what right should State X be able to force Amazon to act as its uncompensated tax collector?
That is one of the points I make in such discussions. First, as the article concedes, sales taxes permit a business's employees and owners to "enjoy the fruits of local taxes — police and fire protection, roads, hospitals, and other infrastructure that make its operations possible." Therefore, if a business is not physically located within a state, there is no justification for forcing it to collect and remit money to that state. There is also, it seems to me, the issue of forcing that business to act as the uncompensated tax collector for that state. By what legal right can a state compel a business to work for it without compensation?