© 2024 WYSO
Our Community. Our Nation. Our World.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Amazon's Presence In Ohio Will Affect Shoppers

Flickr Creative Commons User Claudio Toledo

The three new data and cloud computing centers that Amazon is bringing to Ohio will affect shoppers in the state who use the site. 

Amazon buyers in Ohio beware – if you’re not paying state and local sales taxes on your purchases from the retailer now, as state law says you should, you will be starting Monday, June 1.

“If you’re buying an Amazon product, they’re going to start charging Ohio sales tax and collecting it right when you are checking out,” Gary Gudmundson with the state tax department said.

Amazon’s Paul Misener said the retailer voluntarily agreed to collecting sales taxes with the data center jobs deal, but he notes that this applies only to purchases from Amazon, and not to items bought from other retailers who also sell on the site.

So buyers from those sites will still be expected to remit those taxes on their own – which often doesn’t happen and analysts say costs Ohio millions each year.