1. Debate whether or not online retailers should be required to collect state sales taxes. Suggest an equitable solution to this issue.
2. Research online tax rules. Look specifically at the 1992 Supreme Court ruling in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, on which the current rules are based. Is the rule in the 1992 Supreme Court case still relevant? Are Amazon and other online retailers being ethical by using this rule to their advantage?
Online retailing is experiencing phenomenal growth, but struggling states are not reaping the spoils-in taxes, that is. One study estimates that lost state and local revenue equals upwards of $10 billion a year on nontaxed e-commerce. Amazon is the biggest beneficiary. States are battling back by introducing, and sometimes successfully passing, laws informally dubbed " Amazon laws" that require online retailers to collect state sales taxes. The efforts have the support of rivals such as Walmart and Target. Amazon strategically sought to minimize sales tax collection across the country by using legal loopholes and even limiting employees' activities when traveling to certain states deemed "bad states" because of efforts to enact tax laws to grab a piece of Amazon's profits. Credit Suisse estimated Amazon would lose $653 million in sales if it had to collect sales taxes in all states, but surprisingly, Amazon has done an about-face on this issue and is currently supporting states' initiatives to collect sales taxes. This is because Amazon wants to institute same-day delivery, and to do that, it must have more distribution centers.