Amazon Expanding Its Presence in Seattle

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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May 9, 2000
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Online giant Amazon is preparing for future growth and has purchased three blocks of central downtown Seattle real estate to facilitate that growth. Amazon reportedly bought the property to build three office towers, zoned for 40 story buildings capable of 1M square feet of office space each. When Amazon prepares for growth, the company does so in a big way.

Amazon's real estate purchase comes as it finds itself in the midst of a dramatic growth spurt. The company reported recently that it ended 2011 with 56,200 employees, a 67% increase from the prior year.
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I feel sorry for them really. I LOVE Amazon, but if the states get their way, then Amazon is out. Sales tax will stop lots of people from ordering from them.
 
ol1bit said:
I feel sorry for them really. I LOVE Amazon, but if the states get their way, then Amazon is out. Sales tax will stop lots of people from ordering from them.
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Amazon is still cheaper and an easier shopping experience to brick and mortar hell.
 
ol1bit said:
Sales tax will stop lots of people from ordering from them.
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People should stop bitching and complaining. Just pay the sales tax. Otherwise all of our government services will disappear. No one likes paying taxes, but sales tax is an established precedent so we should just pay up.
 
ol1bit said:
I feel sorry for them really. I LOVE Amazon, but if the states get their way, then Amazon is out. Sales tax will stop lots of people from ordering from them.
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Sales tax doesn't stop me from buying on newegg, won't matter with Amazon either. Bottom line, I want lowest price shipped to my door from a reputable & reliable retailer. Whats my alternative, go to Best Buy and pay $40 for a bluray that Amazon sells for $25?
 
FndTheRver said:
People should stop bitching and complaining. Just pay the sales tax. Otherwise all of our government services will disappear. No one likes paying taxes, but sales tax is an established precedent so we should just pay up.
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That is exactly what WE are required to do. Amazon should not have to hire accountants to handle tax collection on our behalf. We are required to report and pay tax for any online purchases.
 
ol1bit said:
I feel sorry for them really. I LOVE Amazon, but if the states get their way, then Amazon is out. Sales tax will stop lots of people from ordering from them.
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Lol, I live in WA so I already have to pay sales tax. Usually I don't order big ticket items from Amazon but for smaller stuff with Prime...hell, yeah.
 
MavericK96 said:
Lol, I live in WA so I already have to pay sales tax. Usually I don't order big ticket items from Amazon but for smaller stuff with Prime...hell, yeah.
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Agreed I live in WA as well and I buy something I just pay the tax but the free prime shipping. Any big ticket items I just drive to portland since I only live a 10min drive away. :p
 
Lol...bastard! I live in Northwest WA so that's not an option. Usually I go Newegg or something for big-ticket items.
 
Gotta dust off the resume, I'd love to work downtown again.

Little by little, WA is taking over the world.
 
Well, technically, you're supposed to pay the sales tax anyway. They just have no way to track what you've been buying...
 
PersonalJ said:
Amazon is still cheaper and an easier shopping experience to brick and mortar hell.
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It's kind of funny when you go into physical shops and ask them why is everything so expensive when you can get the same stuff for 50% of what they are selling it, and they just say "we don't compete with online prices". :confused:

Then of course you just leave and go buy it from the competition that they don't compete with...
 
My state will be paying sales tax on Amazon soon but in exchange we're getting a massive facility that's going to employ a ton of people. I think it's a pretty fair trade.
 
DeathPrincess said:
It's kind of funny when you go into physical shops and ask them why is everything so expensive when you can get the same stuff for 50% of what they are selling it, and they just say "we don't compete with online prices". :confused:

Then of course you just leave and go buy it from the competition that they don't compete with...
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Retail truly does compete on availability, but there's only so many impulsive people around. I work at one of these hellish dinosaurs and know their business model is failing. Only thing I ever buy from work are clearance products.
 
In any state that Amazon has a physical presence, they DO pay tax. Anywhere else, why should they have to pay. They don't use any government services where they don't have a physical location.

Why should they have to pay local taxes that support the police, fire, etc...when they have no need for those services if they aren't located there?

After all, that IS what sales tax is for.
 
PersonalJ said:
Retail truly does compete on availability, but there's only so many impulsive people around. I work at one of these hellish dinosaurs and know their business model is failing. Only thing I ever buy from work are clearance products.
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Lots of people seem to go into stores to try on the clothes or feel the peripherals or just browse. Then go home and order it online for much much cheaper unless it's food or small items where the shipping cost wont cover it, or it's something they need that day.

People like a place they can go though, and some stores have where you can order it online then collect instore. But then this usually means they just have highstreet prices online... It seems to be they think selling 1@$1000 is better than selling 20@$200 because it's got a higher margin per item, and wont ever cut prices.

The towns near me are pretty empty in the middle now, especially as the taxes they have to pay are stupid high, it means that loads of stores are vacant. Probably why the goverments are trying to squeeze money from online sales now.
 
shawnoen said:
In any state that Amazon has a physical presence, they DO pay tax. Anywhere else, why should they have to pay. They don't use any government services where they don't have a physical location.

Why should they have to pay local taxes that support the police, fire, etc...when they have no need for those services if they aren't located there?

After all, that IS what sales tax is for.
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<facepalm>

Sales tax is a consumption tax on the consumer, not on the corporation. Hence the more that the consumer buys, the more tax he pays.
 
Every person that files taxes is REQUIRED by law to pay sales tax on online purchases....
 
The questions is; will these buildings be able to be built in 2 days, or do they have to opt for the $4.99 million for the one day rushed construction?
 
ol1bit said:
I feel sorry for them really. I LOVE Amazon, but if the states get their way, then Amazon is out. Sales tax will stop lots of people from ordering from them.
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RANT (not at you ol1bit)

Yes. Because the only reason we shop online is to dodge taxes. :rolleyes:

NOBODY in WA shops at Amazon, right? NOBODY. Well, except EVERYONE I KNOW. Amazon Fresh for groceries (awesome) Amazon Prime for cheap ass fast shipping.

Why are web shops special? Why should they be exempt from charging sales tax? The net is not some nascent thing on the verge of collapse. They don't need taxpayer handouts.

So folks need to call the whaaaamulance and quit bitching.

TANSTAAFL.
 
I considered a job at Amazon. Commute hell unless you want to live in the city with the shitty schools. The signing bonus is decent, the salary on-par with the tech region. The medical sub-par compared to MSFT and GOOG.

But the cost of living, ugh. Unless you want to rent some run down cesspit or are a hipster studio troll, downtown blows and family accommodations are an epic suck.
 
Amazon Prime 2-day shipping is the reason I shop at Amazon. I don't mind paying taxes, as I can already imagine the gas money I am saving on frustrating trips to Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. Plus, with all the books I purchase it is so much easier to pre-order a couple months ahead once I get the list from Black Library.
 
FndTheRver said:
People should stop bitching and complaining. Just pay the sales tax. Otherwise all of our government services will disappear. No one likes paying taxes, but sales tax is an established precedent so we should just pay up.
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Sorry I grew up in Montana, no Sales Tax. I think it's stupid I have to pay sales tax, so anyway i can get out of it I do.
 
I'm not sure about other states, but In NC it's called "use tax". If you go on vacation to Montana and buy a necklace, you have to pay up to the NC tax man if you live there. Probably to help pay for politician's pet projects and donor payback projects. Don't you cross that border without paying the protection money.
 
Serpent said:
So..... hows that Amazon's problem?




And proof that sales tax are not needed. I'm not saying sales tax doesn't help, but its far from a necessity.
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But Montana has like 10 troopers and almost no one has any neighbors. They dont have a sales tax because their state government doesnt waste a whole lot of money on stupid shit.
 
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