High Tax Red States
The Wall Street Journal had a story today about the lengths Amazon goes to avoid having to collect sales taxes. Among other things, they maintain a chart that color-codes states based on whether they are "good," "bad" or "neutral" on the issue of sales tax. Employees are expected to make every effort to avoid engaging in any work in the "bad" states to avoid tax liability. The states to avoid are color-coded red, neutral states are yellow, and good states are green. Check out the handy graphic included with the story:
Isn't it interesting how many (admittedly not all) of the Amazon red states are also political red states, including Texas and Utah? (supposedly the libertarian hell-holes of fevered progressive imaginations). This doesn't mean Texas or Utah (or Georgia or Alabama ) are anti-business or high-tax environments, of course. Quite the opposite. They simply enforce their tax laws with more vigor, something the sophisticates at Amazon can't seem to abide.
