Amazon Tax,  Internet Sales Taxes

Advocates for the Poor Urge Boycott of Amazon.com Over California Internet Sales Taxes

Good grief. It isn’t bad enough that businesses are leaving California and my income has been reduced because of this internet sales tax flap, but now the FAR LEFT low-income tax redistributionist groups are going specifically after Amazon.com.

Advocates for the poor will urge Californians today to boycott Amazon.com until the online retailer begins collecting sales taxes.

Representatives of the Health and Human Services Network of California will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. on the Capitol’s north steps asking state residents to close their Amazon.com accounts until the company stops fighting a law intended to force online retailers to collect California sales taxes.

The group will be joined by Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Oakland.

The Seattle-based retailer ponied up $3 million last month to collect signatures for a referendum that would overturn Assembly Bill X1 28. Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers enacted the measure as part of the June budget deal to raise $200 million a year.

“We’re asking people to think before they shop on Amazon and tell Amazon what they think,” said Nancy Berlin, director of the California Partnership, which advocates for health and social service funding. “We don’t have the kind of money and power Amazon does, but collectively we’re asking our people and others in our community who share our values to put their money where their values are.”

Amazon has not collected sales taxes on California purchases since the law was passed, believing the law does not apply because the retailer ended its relationship with California-based “affiliates” who refer customers to its website.

Amazon.com is working well within California law. What will not surprise me, will be, who is funding this group to come out and protest.

How does Wal-Mart, Target or other business competitors to Amazon.com sound?

Again, this law is a loser and an expensive political and legal turf war is not something that will benefit California taxpayers