(May 9, 2008)--Texas officials may claim that Amazon.com owes millions of dollars in sales taxes on purchases that Texans made from the Internet retailer.
A 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling lets states collect sales taxes from out-of-state retailers that have a "physical presence" in their states.
Seattle-based Amazon runs a distribution center in Irving.
The Dallas Morning News reported that it asked the Texas comptroller's office why the retailer didn't charge sales taxes on purchases by Texas customers.
In response, an official said the office know Amazon had a facility in Texas and that company officials had said they didn't.
Amazon officials did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press.
Texas officials didn't say how much they think Amazon may owe, butt Comptroller Susan Combs said in December that the state lost $541 million in sales taxes on Internet and mail-order sales during 2006.