Justices refuse appeal of N.Y. internet taxation

On Monday, the Supreme Court refused appeals in New York state over taxes on purchases from online stores like Amazon.com.

According to the Associated Press, the court turned away appeals from Amazon.com LLC and Overstock.com Inc., forcing them to pay sales tax the same way in-state businesses do. The decision is potentially threatening for online shopping as many shoppers are attracted to cheaper prices found online.

Amazon uses an affiliate program that has required the company to charge sales tax in New York since 2008. Companies without such in-state presence aren't required to charge sales tax.

Both Amazon and Overstock plan to take the case to Congress, hoping to evoke a federal decision that would apply uniformly to every state.

The National Council of State Legislature estimated that in 2012, states lost $23.3 billion in online and catalog sales tax revenues.

Read more from the Associated Press.