One of the big fights in the state legislature last year was over Amazon’s offer to build a distribution center in Lexington County (investing $90 million) and hiring 1249 employees. In exchange the state would not require Amazon to collect sales tax on any purchases from South Carolina customers for five years. The South Carolina …
The battle over state sales tax being collected by on-line retailers like Amazon has now moved to Congress. Amazon, which this year won a battle in South Carolina receiving a reprieve from collecting sales tax on in-state sales in exchange for building a distribution center in Lexington County, apparently has now switched sides. The retail …
Below are two must-read editorials from this weekend. The first by Cindi Scoppe, Associate Editor of The State, accurately analyzes the meaning of the recent House vote to give Amazon.com an exemption from collecting sales tax. But most legislators acknowledge that there was a serious question of fairness in this case. So what’s the cost …
According to newspaper accounts, this past Tuesday night Amazon executive Paul Misener called Representative Kenny Bingham to say that the retail giant was willing to increase the number of jobs and investment in the state to help win House approval of the Amazon.com sales tax deal. This came after over a month of intense lobbying …
What’s the value of our advocacy? How about $35 million and 751 jobs! Read More »
Several weeks ago the S.C. House voted overwhelmingly against throwing small retailers across the state under the bus in order for Amazon.com to build a distribution center in Lexington County. The rejection of giving the retail giant the unique exemption from collecting sales tax on in-state sales led to Amazon declaring that they would not build …
The opinion editorial below by Frank Knapp ran today in The State.———————————————————————————————- Better use for Amazon’s incentive dollars By FRANK KNAPP JR. When the S.C. House voted to support our state’s small retailers by not giving in to Amazon.com’s incentive demands to build a distribution center, predictions of doom erupted. One Lexington County councilman said …
The Amazon.com lobbyists must be busy working the phones to our state legislators and emailing them copies of the story in Saturday’s State. “Amazon vote drives off two firms”, screams the headline. The story goes on to quote Lexington County leaders who have been at the fore front in pushing for Amazon.com to be the …
The Senate Finance Committee room was packed yesterday by Lexington County supporters of Amazon.com’s request to be exempted from collecting sales tax for sales made to South Carolina residents in exchange for building a new distribution center in that county. The room was also filled with lobbyists hired by Amazon.com to move its legislation forward. …
Amazon.com is scared. Scared that if it is forced to follow the laws that apply to every other small business retailer, it can’t compete. Not only here in South Carolina, but across the country. So the business plan of the company is to force states to make exceptions to tax laws. Amazon does this by …
