...with brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…
• CNBC reports that starting April 1, Amazon will be collecting sales taxes from 45 states. The only states where Amazon won't collect sales taxes will be Alaska, Delaware, Oregon, Montana and New Hampshire - the five states in the union that do not have state sales taxes.
For a long time, states did not require online merchants to collect sales taxes because it was believed that this would inhibit the growth of a nascent industry. However, as the e-commerce venue has matured and become more mainstream, states have gradually changed their policies.
It also probably helped that estimates are that the states have missed out on hundreds of billions of dollars in tax revenue because of the old policy.
• The San Francisco Business Times reports that grocery delivery company Instacart has agreed to write a $4.6 million check and "change the way it explains fees to users as part of a settlement of a class action lawsuit brought by employees of the company. "
The settlement requires Instacart to be transparent about how it assesses fees and where the money goes; it also has to resolve issues related to "improper tip pooling and failure to reimburse workers for business expenses," as well as "create a formal policy that explains under what circumstances a worker can be deactivated from the Instacart system - essentially, being fired - and a process for disputing deactivation."
Despite agreeing to write the check and change its procedures, Instacart continues to deny the validity of the claims made against it.
• Reuters reports that Amazon has agreed in principle to acquire Souq, described as "the largest online retailer in the Arab world ... If the deal goes through, Amazon would be getting access to markets with large purchasing power, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Amazon has not confirmed the report.
• CNBC reports that starting April 1, Amazon will be collecting sales taxes from 45 states. The only states where Amazon won't collect sales taxes will be Alaska, Delaware, Oregon, Montana and New Hampshire - the five states in the union that do not have state sales taxes.
For a long time, states did not require online merchants to collect sales taxes because it was believed that this would inhibit the growth of a nascent industry. However, as the e-commerce venue has matured and become more mainstream, states have gradually changed their policies.
It also probably helped that estimates are that the states have missed out on hundreds of billions of dollars in tax revenue because of the old policy.
• The San Francisco Business Times reports that grocery delivery company Instacart has agreed to write a $4.6 million check and "change the way it explains fees to users as part of a settlement of a class action lawsuit brought by employees of the company. "
The settlement requires Instacart to be transparent about how it assesses fees and where the money goes; it also has to resolve issues related to "improper tip pooling and failure to reimburse workers for business expenses," as well as "create a formal policy that explains under what circumstances a worker can be deactivated from the Instacart system - essentially, being fired - and a process for disputing deactivation."
Despite agreeing to write the check and change its procedures, Instacart continues to deny the validity of the claims made against it.
• Reuters reports that Amazon has agreed in principle to acquire Souq, described as "the largest online retailer in the Arab world ... If the deal goes through, Amazon would be getting access to markets with large purchasing power, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Amazon has not confirmed the report.
- KC's View:
