sales taxes

As states grapple with huge budget deficits, some of them are eliminating sales taxes for back-to-school shoppers. But are sales tax holidays really a good value for consumers? Experts discuss the true costs of the programs and some of the alternatives.

Online retail giant Amazon.com has filed suit against the state of Texas, demanding it produce an audit that serves as the basis for its demand for $269 million in uncollected sales taxes. The state demanded the money in September, but has withheld the report from Amazon.

With skyrocketing budget shortfalls, cash-strapped states see Amazon affiliates as a sales-tax cash cow. But the measures don't seem to work -- and the retailer is firing back.

New Jersey often plays second fiddle to neighboring New York, but a new survey of the 50 U.S. states shows the Garden State bested New York in having the least favorable tax climate for business. It's the second consecutive year New Jersey has finished dead last, according to the 2010 State...