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Amazon To Collect Online Sales Tax From Ohioans

Amazon Vice President Paul Misener (Karen Kasler/Statehouse Bureau)

The three new data and cloud computing centers that Amazon is bringing to Ohio will also bring in money to the state - money that is supposed to already be coming in but often does not. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports.

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.

Gary Gudmundson with the state tax department said, "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."

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.