An online store operated by the Trump Organization has initiated the process to collect sales tax on orders from customers that live in the states of Virginia and New York.  This brings the number of states in which TrumpStore.com collects sales tax to four as the tax was already collected for orders purchased by Florida and Louisiana residents.  The online merchant sells a variety of items stamped with the Trump brand including baseball caps and polo shirts.

The irony of the situation is not lost on critics of President Trump who point to his criticism of Amazon and other online marketplaces regarding the collection of state sales tax as a sign of hypocrisy.  President Trump has singled out Amazon specifically for what he says are unfair business practices on their part for not collecting sales tax for many state and local jurisdictions in the country.

Currently, Amazon's tax policy is to collect sales tax on all sales made directly to states that require a sales tax.  However, the company currently collects sales tax for only the states of Washington and Pennsylvania for items sold by third-party merchants on their site.

The current laws mandate that an online retailers collect sales tax for states in which they maintain a physical presence.  The Trump Organization runs a retail store in its Trump Tower New York City location in addition to a winery located in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Brian Greer

Written by Brian Greer