NEW YORK (Reuters) - Complying with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Thursday that forces online retailers to collect sales tax just like their brick-and-mortar counterparts will be a heavy burden for smaller e-commerce businesses.
But the ruling may not be a big blow to Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) , which already collects sales tax on items it sells directly to consumers, nor will it bring much advantage to large chains like Walmart Inc (WMT.N), Target Corp (TGT.N) and other retailers with brick and mortar stores.
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed states to make online retailers collect sales tax, siding against e-commerce companies like Wayfair Inc (W.N) and Overstock.com Inc (OSTK.O) in their high-profile fight with South Dakota.
Before the ruling only retailers with stores had to collect sales tax while e-commerce retailers could skip collecting them, which helped them lower prices.
Thursday’s ruling comes after President Donald Trump’s criticism of Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) on issues including taxes.
The judgment levels the playing field between online and physical retailers and offers relief for U.S. states looking for additional revenue.
Some tax experts said the ruling could turn out to be almost as significant for American businesses as the recent rewrite of the U.S. federal tax code.
But for large retail chains that operate stores, the benefits are likely to be limited, according to tax and retail consultants.
“I don’t see brick and mortar stores
