Reply To: Why do New Yorkers have to pay online sales tax?

The tax is a “sales and use” tax, so if you use the goods in New York you have to pay the tax. Many states are cracking down on people who have been evading the tax by buying out of state and having the goods shipped to New York. The state hopes to get lots of revenue by forcing out of state merchants to collect the tax when they make the sale, rather than expecting people to voluntarily pay the tax when the merchandise arrives. The state needs the money to pay off everyone who needs to be pacified.