Yeah, that Amazon tax varies quite a bit based on what State you're in.
Amazon tax?
I think you all are talking about a state sales tax, which does vary from state to state, which Amazon or its sellers may or may not be required to collect. Don't blame Amazon. Blame the state that imposed the tax.
In some states, like Ohio, the sales tax varies from county to county as a result of county sales tax that's on top of the state sales tax.
Indiana law requires that Indiana sales tax be collected on most items shipped to addresses in Indiana. If the seller does not collect the tax at the time of sale, the recipient is expected to add the appropriate tax to their state income tax return. The twist is that if the seller has a business presence in Indiana, they are required to collect the tax at time of sale. Since Amazon has several distribution warehouses in Indiana and I live in Indiana, pretty much anything I buy through Amazon has Indiana state sale tax added to the price.
Here is Amazon's sales tax policy:
Unless otherwise noted, items sold by Amazon.com LLC are subject to sales tax in select states in accordance with the applicable laws of that state. If your order contains one or more items from a seller other than Amazon.com LLC, it may be subject to state and local sales tax, depending upon the seller's business policies and the location of their operations.
We do not collect sales or use taxes in all states. For states imposing sales or use taxes, your purchase is subject to use tax unless it is specifically exempt from taxation. Your purchase is not exempt merely because it is made over the Internet or by other remote means. Many states require purchasers to file a sales/use tax return at the end of the year reporting all of the taxable purchases that were not taxed and to pay tax on those purchases. Details of how to file these returns may be found at the websites of your respective taxing authorities.
Please note: The sales tax indicated on the checkout form is an estimate. The sales tax ultimately charged to your credit card will be calculated when your credit card charge is authorized and will reflect applicable state and local taxes.