Earlier quoted context omitted.
Here is an explanation. Residents of Illinois owe sales tax on their purchases. The state knows that people won't choose to pay this, so the state makes merchants collect the tax. If the merchants are based in the state, the courts say the state can do this. If the merchants are not based in the state, then the courts have ruled this to be interstate commerce, which is something that only the federal government has p…
Amazon sells Item X for $19.99. An Illinois retailer sells the same Item X, also for $19.99. Your claim is that the buyer will purchase from Amazon because there is no sales tax: Amazon: $19.99 Retailer: $21.24 Except, the item must be shipped from Amazon to the customer. If customer pays shipping, then: Amazon: $24.99 Retailer: $21.24 If Amazon pays the shipping, then the shipping costs must be deducted from their p…
On the whole the advantage is definitely with Amazon, as can be verified from the prices for end consumers.
Now we get the question of fairness. People often argue about fairness as if it was an absolute fact. It is not. Fairness is a subjective opinion. Rather than trying to argue about what is fair or not fair, the best you can do is to try to understand other people's point of view.
There is a point of view from which Amazon is inducing Illinois residents to break Illinois law, and spend their money in a way that creates no Illinois jobs. Every piece of this hurts Illinois, and is not fair to companies that are forced to abide by Illinois law. You clearly do not share this point of view, but is it that hard to accept this mindset?
By contrast your point of view seems to be that Amazon is obeying US law, and it isn't Amazon's problem if Illinois wishes to foist stupid rules on its people that the people don't want to follow. That's a fair opinion, but having that opinion should not prevent you from understanding that there are other points of view out there.