Indiana has been a member of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA) since 2005, so we here at FedTax were surprised when we heard that affiliate nexus legislation (sometimes called “Amazon tax”) was being proposed there (H.B. 1119). Regular readers of this blog know that affiliate nexus laws expand the definition of nexus to include affiliate marketers— locally based websites that provide marketing for out-of-state merchants. Affiliate nexus laws are generally ineffective because, time, and time, and time, and time again the impacted e-commerce retailers have demonstrated their willingness to sever ties with their in-state affiliates so they can avoid being singled-out as the only remote retailers being required to collect.
We were very pleased when we learned this was not going to happen in Indiana. Governor Mitch Daniels announced that Amazon has agreed to begin collecting sales tax in Indiana in 2014—or even sooner if Congress enacts guiding legislation, like the Marketplace Fairness Act (S.1832). In exchange, the Indiana legislature will not advance the proposed affiliate nexus legislation. As an additional benefit, the Indiana-based Simon Property Group (the largest shopping mall owner in the U.S.) has agreed to suspend its lawsuit against the Indiana Department of Revenue over its failure to require Amazon to collect sales tax despite its three distribution warehouses in the state. Governor Daniels said that Indiana is the 4th state with such a tax collection agreement with Amazon, joining California, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
Now even more states are considering similar legislation. We do not intend to hatch a conspiracy theory, but some could draw the conclusion that these bills are being used as an indirect method of “requesting” that Amazon open distribution centers in their state. We hope Congress will act soon to end all this craziness.
Posted by FedTax 
