Due to this article, I went to Amazon and tried to find something from Target through Amazon (since Target has a physical presence here in Texas) to add to my cart. After a few minutes, I found a window treatment that I figured would suffice for this purpose. A few clicks later, it was in my basket, and lo! Estimated tax was added to the purchase.
I clicked the "why am I being charged tax?" link, and I found this:
Your Order: Tax and Seller Information
Your order contains one or more items from an Amazon.com partner and may be subject to local sales tax, depending on the state to which the item is being shipped.
and this:
Please note: The sales tax indicated on the checkout form is an estimate. The sales tax ultimately charged to your credit card will be calculated when your credit card charge is authorized and will reflect applicable state and local taxes.
So, taxes are being charged on purchases made through Amazon where the 3rd party retailer also has a presence in the locality from which the purchase is originating. I have to believe that if this is the case in Houston, then it should be the same in Manhattan.
So, yeah, this is pretty much a money grab, plain and simple. New York is attempting to charge taxes without Amazon having local representation (i.e. an "Amazon" store in Times Square), which, if memory serves, was part of what caused a little fracas up in that part of the country in, oh, around the early and mid 1770s.
I clicked the "why am I being charged tax?" link, and I found this:
Your Order: Tax and Seller Information
Your order contains one or more items from an Amazon.com partner and may be subject to local sales tax, depending on the state to which the item is being shipped.
and this:
Please note: The sales tax indicated on the checkout form is an estimate. The sales tax ultimately charged to your credit card will be calculated when your credit card charge is authorized and will reflect applicable state and local taxes.
So, taxes are being charged on purchases made through Amazon where the 3rd party retailer also has a presence in the locality from which the purchase is originating. I have to believe that if this is the case in Houston, then it should be the same in Manhattan.
So, yeah, this is pretty much a money grab, plain and simple. New York is attempting to charge taxes without Amazon having local representation (i.e. an "Amazon" store in Times Square), which, if memory serves, was part of what caused a little fracas up in that part of the country in, oh, around the early and mid 1770s.