Bond Buyer: Why Cities in Some States Aren’t Getting E-Commerce Taxes from Amazon

Local governments in seven states are not getting a share of the sales taxes Amazon is collecting for e-commerce transactions because of gaps in state and local laws, according to a report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Amazon began collecting sales tax in all 45 states that have statewide sales taxes as of last April following a gradual roll out. The company did not respond to a request for comment on the report.

The cities affected range from Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile and Huntsville in Alabama to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. …

… “In order for sales taxes to be collected comprehensively on online sales, we really need policy change at all levels of government — federal, state and local,” said Carl Davis, author of the ITEP report. Read more

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