[Follow-up: Amazon.com reaches truce in California sales tax battle ]

Amazon.com is pushing hard (and funneling a lot of money) into an effort to repeal a California law that forces online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made in the state. The Seattle company also is taking some heat for an offers to put thousands of jobs in the state if politicians repeal the tax. Simultaneously, Amazon is reportedly close to getting enough signatures from California citizens to put a referendum on the ballot that would ask voters to repeal the tax collection law.

Now, The New York Times is weighing in on the issue, noting in an editorial titled “Amazon’s Tax Dodge” that the company’s “no-holds-barred fight” in California is “an abdication of corporate responsibility.”

Amazon collects sales tax in Washington state and four other states where it has physical operations. But, as The New York Times points out, the online retailer has avoided taxes in some states like California by setting up subsidiaries. The company maintains that those operations — even though in many cases they are providing critical services for the company — do not constitute a physical presence. (For example, much of the work of Amazon’s Kindle device is handled by an entity known as Lab126, which is based in Cupertino, California).

Because of that and the desperate need of funds in California, The New York Times writes that the state should “not back down on its proper demand that Amazon collect taxes that are owed.”

Previously on GeekWire: California politicians look to put brakes on Amazon tax referendum

[Follow-up: Amazon.com reaches truce in California sales tax battle ]

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.