High court to eye taxes on online purchases

Soon, the U.S. Supreme Court will announce an opinion about a Colorado sales and use tax law with implications for many businesses.
In 2010, Gov. Bill Ritter signed into law House Bill 10-1193. This bill allows the Colorado Department of Revenue to collect sales and use taxes from Colorado residents who purchase products online from remote vendors, rather than collecting sales taxes from the vendors directly.
The law requires considerable, burdensome cooperation from the affected vendors. Among other things, vendors (including Amazon.com, for example) must send an annual notice to each Colorado purchaser by Jan. 31, showing the amount paid…