The U.S. Senate recently passed a bill that would allow states to collect sales tax on online purchases, potentially leveling the playing field between brick-and-mortar and online retailers. This may shift some purchases back to brick-and-mortar retailers, but it won't entirely change the trend of sales moving online. Fool editor Lauren Kuczala sat down with contributor Travis Hoium to see who the winners would be and why Amazon (AMZN +2.64%) may benefit despite having to pay more in taxes on its purchases.
Will the Internet Sales Tax Change Consumer Habits?
By Travis Hoium and Lauren Anderson – May 16, 2013 at 6:00PM
NASDAQ: AMZN
Amazon
Market Cap
$2.3T
Today's Change
(2.64%) $5.72
Current Price
$222.20
Price as of October 21, 2025 at 3:58 PM ET
Big purchases may move offline, but Amazon won't be hit by online sales taxes.
About the Author
Travis Hoium is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering solar energy, technology, and growth stocks. Before The Motley Fool, Travis was a mechanical engineer at 3M and founded a virtual reality company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota.