

Amazon Shuts Down Associates Program in NC - KrisJordan
http://www.newmediacampaigns.com/page/amazon-shuts-down-north-carolina-associates-program

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spolsky
Really simple. Internet merchants have to collect sales tax on residents of
any state where they have a physical presence.

Amazon has been careful to limit their physical presence to Washington so that
their sales are tax free in the 49 other states.

North Carolina doesn't like all the lost sales tax revenues caused by people
buying things from Amazon.

So they changed the law so that having an AFFILIATE in North Carolina is the
same as having a physical presence in North Carolina.

Amazon retaliated by eliminating all North Carolina affiliates. (Many of whom
will probably just change the address on their account. Since Amazon pays by
direct deposit, this won't matter).

It's the only way Amazon can keep from having to charge sales tax to ALL North
Carolina residents which would make them more expensive.

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dougp
Can anyone find the specifics in the legislation that is causing this. I can't
find anything. They really should put all legislation in progress up on github
or something.

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bwhite
It is in the Appropriations Act of 2009 / S202, currently in revision 6:
[http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2009/Bills/Senate/HTML/S202v6....](http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2009/Bills/Senate/HTML/S202v6.html)

See sections 27C.2 and 27C.3.

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Dilpil
The appropriations act?

Someone needs to explain modularity to lawmakers.

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bwhite
From their perspective, hiding stuff like this in large appropriation bills is
a feature, not a bug. Sadly.

