President Trump reopens fight on internet sales tax

President Donald Trump's recent tweet about Amazon is putting the issue of online sales taxes back in the spotlight. In a tweet June 28 criticizing the Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, President Trump called the publication "the guardian of Amazon not paying internet taxes (which they should)."

It's unclear exactly what Trump meant by "internet taxes." Amazon in April started collecting sales taxes on purchases in every state that levies a sales tax. But Congress has also banned states from taxing consumer's internet access. Asked about the tweet, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she had not discussed it with Trump. The White House also did not respond to an email from The Hill Friday about the tweet or the broader online sales tax issue. But lawmakers and others who want states to be able to force online retailers to collect sales tax were heartened by Trump's comment.