All Florida residents now have to pay sales tax on any purchases they make through online retailer Amazon.
Starting Thursday, Florida's state sales tax will be tacked on to all Amazon purchases.
The change is coming because Amazon is opening two fulfillment centers in Hillsborough and Polk counties, which is enough to make require the retailer to collect sales tax under Florida law.
The two distribution centers are each expected to employ about 1,000 workers. The facility in Ruskin is expected to start operations this fall.
Some customers, like Anita and Steve Eichler, are not happy about the new sales tax.
"I'm not happy at all about that," Steve Eichler said. "It ruins the whole idea of mail order buying. "
The Eichlers are Amazon Prime customers, which means they do a lot of online shopping there, and they liked doing it tax-free.
"The whole magic of mail order buying is so that you'll be able to purchase without paying tax," Steve Eichler said.
But Judy Bailey has a different perspective. Many of the items she sells in her St. Petersburg gift shop can be purchased on Amazon.com. In the three years she's been open, she said it's been a challenge competing with the online giant.
"We had a lot of people come in and take pictures of things and so forth that we really had to say that no photography is allowed," she said.
Bailey said she thinks the sales tax will ultimately help her business.
"It kinda levels the field out a little bit," she said.
And as for the Eichlers, they say their online shopping habits may have to change.
"Buy less from Amazon," Steve Eichler said.
Or...not.
"Honestly, I'm gonna still keep doing it because it's so easy," Anita Eichler said.