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'''Amazon.com''', founded by [[liberal]] [[Jeff Bezos]] is the United States' largest online retailer.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite web|work=New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/23/business/technology-a-surprise-from-amazon-its-first-profit.html|author=Saul Hansell|date=Jan 23 2002|accessdate=Apr 26 2009|title=TECHNOLOGY; A Surprise From Amazon: Its First Profit|language=English|publisher=New York Times Co.}}</ref> After being founded in 1995, the company did not make its first quarterly profit until 2001.<ref name="nyt1"/> If individuals make purchases from ''Amazon Smile'', the company donates a portion of the sale to a [[charity]] of the buyer's choice, such as International Christian Concern.<ref name="Holiday2014">{{cite book|last=Holiday|first=Ryan|title=Growth Hacker Marketing: A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing, and Advertising|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=NZoiAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT28|accessdate=31 October 2014|date=30 September 2014|publisher=Penguin Group US|isbn=9780698176911|page=28|quote=You can set up a special subdomain on your ecommerce site where a percentage of every purchase users make goes to a charity of their choice (which is what Amazon did with Smile.Amazon.com this year to great success, proving that even a successful company can find little growth hacks).}}</ref>

'''Amazon.com''', founded by [[liberal]] [[Jeff Bezos]] is the United States' largest online retailer.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite web|work=New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/23/business/technology-a-surprise-from-amazon-its-first-profit.html|author=Saul Hansell|date=Jan 23 2002|accessdate=Apr 26 2009|title=TECHNOLOGY; A Surprise From Amazon: Its First Profit|language=English|publisher=New York Times Co.}}</ref> After being founded in 1995, the company did not make its first quarterly profit until 2001.<ref name="nyt1"/> If individuals make purchases from ''Amazon Smile'', the company donates a portion of the sale to a [[charity]] of the buyer's choice, such as International Christian Concern.<ref name="Holiday2014">{{cite book|last=Holiday|first=Ryan|title=Growth Hacker Marketing: A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing, and Advertising|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=NZoiAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT28|accessdate=31 October 2014|date=30 September 2014|publisher=Penguin Group US|isbn=9780698176911|page=28|quote=You can set up a special subdomain on your e-commerce site where a percentage of every purchase users make goes to a charity of their choice (which is what Amazon did with Smile.Amazon.com this year to great success, proving that even a successful company can find little growth hacks).}}</ref>

In 1996, it was reincorporated in Delaware. Amazon issued its initial public offering of stock on May 15, 1997, trading under the NASDAQ stock exchange symbol AMZN, at a price of $18.00 per share ($1.50 after three stock splits in the late 1990s)  It has grown to be the retail company with the largest market capitalization in the United States.

In 1996, it was reincorporated in Delaware. Amazon issued its initial public offering of stock on May 15, 1997, trading under the NASDAQ stock exchange symbol AMZN, at a price of $18.00 per share ($1.50 after three stock splits in the late 1990s)  It has grown to be the retail company with the largest market capitalization in the United States.

The company has expanded from reselling goods to designing and manufacturing electronics.  It started with the Amazon Kindle e-book reader in 2007, and has grown to include multifunctional Amazon Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire Phone brand smart phones.  Amazon is also a major provider of [[cloud computing]] services.

The company has expanded from reselling goods to designing and manufacturing electronics.  It started with the Amazon Kindle e-book reader in 2007 and has grown to include multifunctional Amazon Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire Phone brand smartphones.  Amazon is also a major provider of [[cloud computing]] services.

In 2010, Amazon invested $175 million in [[LivingSocial]], a local deal/coupon site.<ref>{{cite news|last=Isaac|first=Mike|date=December 2, 2010|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeisaac/2010/12/02/livingsocial-receives-175-million-investment-from-amazon|title=LivingSocial Receives $175 Million Investment From Amazon|work=Forbes|accessdate=February 6, 2014}}</ref>

In 2010, Amazon invested $175 million in [[LivingSocial]], a local deal/coupon site.<ref>{{cite news|last=Isaac|first=Mike|date=December 2, 2010|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeisaac/2010/12/02/livingsocial-receives-175-million-investment-from-amazon|title=LivingSocial Receives $175 Million Investment From Amazon|work=Forbes|accessdate=February 6, 2014}}</ref> In 2013, Amazon launched the "Amazon Prime" paid membership service which provides free shipping to its members as well as free online access to movies and archived television programs. In 2014, Amazon announced that it would be partnering with [[Twitter]], an agreement that allows individuals to make purchases using a hashtag.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theaussieseo.com/2014/05/26/top-e-commerce-tips-boost-position-search-engines/|title=Twitter And Amazon Join Forces|date=15 May 2014|accessdate=31 October 2014|quote=In a recent announcement Amazon made it’s affiliation with Twitter public. It will allow it’s users to buy products using a hashtag. The service is already available in the US and United Kingdom.}}</ref> Also in 2014, Amazon acquired the right to administer the [[.buy]] top level domain in an auction for $4,588,888<ref>{{cite web|title=Wow: Amazon.com buys .Buy for $4.6 million, .Tech sells for $6.8 million|url=http://domainnamewire.com/2014/09/17/amazon-dotby-dottech/|date=|author=Domainnamewire.com|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=.Buy Domain Sold to Amazon.com for $4,588,888|url=http://uttamujjwal.com/2014/09/buy-domain-sold-amazon-com-4588888/|date=|author=Uttamujjwal.com|publisher=}}</ref>

==Sales and use taxes==

==Sales and use taxes==

Many states and local governments collect sales and use taxes.  A sales tax is paid by the buyer when goods are services are purchased and collected by the seller, who turns the taxes over to the state at the end of each month.  A use tax is paid by the buyer at the end of the year when the seller is located out-of-state and not collected at the time of sale.  In Amazon's early years, it refused to collect sales taxes in states where it was not physically present.  Because many people fail to pay use taxes, local merchants complained that on-line retailers had a competitive advantage because they were not collecting sales taxes.  Amazon now has a physical presence (in the form of warehouses, server farms or offices) in most states, and has built an nationwide database to compute the correct sales tax based on the location of the on-line buyer.  This give it a competitive advantage over other on-line retailers.  Amazon lobbies to force all on-line retailers to collect state and local sales taxes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-tweet-amazon-sales-taxes-off-the-mark/|title=Trump's misfired tweet about Amazon sales taxes|work=CBS Moneywatch|date=June 29, 2017|accessdate=June 30, 2017}}</ref>

Many states and local governments collect sales and use taxes.  A sales tax is paid by the buyer when goods are services are purchased and collected by the seller, who turns the taxes over to the state at the end of each month.  A use tax is paid by the buyer at the end of the year when the seller is located out-of-state and not collected at the time of sale.  In Amazon's early years, it refused to collect sales taxes in states where it was not physically present.  Because many people fail to pay use taxes, local merchants complained that on-line retailers had a competitive advantage because they were not collecting sales taxes.  Amazon now has a physical presence (in the form of warehouses, server farms or offices) in most states, and has built an nationwide database to compute the correct sales tax based on the location of the on-line buyer.  This give it a competitive advantage over other on-line retailers.  Amazon lobbies to force all on-line retailers to collect state and local sales taxes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-tweet-amazon-sales-taxes-off-the-mark/|title=Trump's misfired tweet about Amazon sales taxes|work=CBS Moneywatch|date=June 29, 2017|accessdate=June 30, 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Amazontaxes.jpg|center]]<br><br>

[[File:Amazontaxes.jpg|center]]<br><br>

People are arguing whether he meant that the reports of Amazon not paying taxes is "fake news" or whether the Amazon company itself is fake news.  Amazon and the [[Washington Post]] have different ownership. <ref> http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/06/28/trump-attacks-washington-post-amazon-over-internet-taxes.html</ref>  <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/06/28/president-trump-attacks-amazon-on-twitter-says-it-doesnt-pay-internet-taxes.html</ref>

People are arguing whether he meant that the reports of Amazon not paying taxes is "fake news" or whether the Amazon company itself is fake news.  Amazon and the [[Washington Post]] have different ownership. <ref> http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/06/28/trump-attacks-washington-post-amazon-over-internet-taxes.html</ref>  <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/06/28/president-trump-attacks-amazon-on-twitter-says-it-doesnt-pay-internet-taxes.html</ref>

==See also==

==See also==