Alliance for Main Street Fairness: What Is Amazon Trying To Hide?

Online Retailer's Testimony Brings More Questions Than Answers

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The testimony yesterday by Amazon.com before the Senate Finance Committee demonstrated that they could not provide evidence of their backroom deals, which they claim secured an exemption from remitting and collecting sale taxes, noted the Alliance for Main Street Fairness (AMSF) in Tennessee today. 

Both lawmakers and Tennessee businesses have plenty of questions about the purported special deal that exempts the online giant from collecting sales taxes, Tennessee's primary source of funding.  And despite previously saying they secured the special deal last year under a lame duck administration, Amazon admitted that they were still negotiating the details with the Department of Revenue, leaving more questions unanswered.

Also appearing before the committee, Revenue Commissioner Richard Roberts told committee members that secrecy laws prohibited him from providing details about the law.  And when questioned by reporters at the end of the hearing, apparently Commissioner Robert fled according to news reports.  An Amazon executive told state Senators the firm "believes in the public's right to know," and then refused to show lawmakers any documents negotiated with the state.

"Why can't Amazon come clean and provide lawmakers with details of the special deal they have claimed to secure with the Department of Revenue," asked Mike Cohen, spokesman for the Alliance for Main Street Fairness (AMSF) in Tennessee.  "Secret, backroom deals would hurt Main Street jobs and give an out-of-state company a competitive advantage over mom-and-pop shops across our state.  Main Street businesses want to know: what Amazon is trying to hide?"

SOURCE Alliance for Main Street Fairness

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