Amazon is a thief!
Okay, maybe not a thief, but whether you love the online retailer or hate them, you can't deny that they are a force to be reckoned with. Personally, I'm not a fan, but I do business with them because it is convenient. I know this is sad. But there you go.
Now, the law states that online retailers must collect sales tax in certain states, including Texas. Logic says that Amazon should therefore be collecting sales tax in Texas. But they don't. This is a violation of the law. But Amazon is apparently above the law, as is evidenced by their unethical business practices in recent years*. So Texas has sent them a bill for uncollected sales tax, which I think is right and proper.
Amazon's response is, of course, to sue the state of Texas. As ridiculous as this sounds, and as much as I dislike Amazon, I have to agree with them on this. Texas is refusing to disclose the paperwork that led to the tax bill. I believe everyone is entitled to an itemized bill, and I don't agree with the state of Texas' argument that since an attorney prepared the paperwork that it is subject to attorney-client privilege. It's just silly to say that every piece of paper touched by an attorney is protected. If that were true, no trial in the country would be public. No court decision. If the President of the United States were a licensed attorney, no bill signed would be public. See? Silly.
So man up, Texas. Show your hand, and take Amazon to task for their blatant disregard for the law.
*Don't know what I'm talking about? Look up the various instances of Amazon deleting material off Kindle Devices without consent or notice, and their strong arm tactics when dealing with publishers.
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