Internet purchases soon to include sales tax

If you're planning a major purchase via the Internet, you might want to do it quickly. Congress is expected to introduce a bill this week that would require Amazon.com, L.L. Bean, Cabela's and other online merchants to collect sales tax on all online purchases and return that money to the state in which the purchaser resides.

I was recently shopping for a TV for a relative, and found that I could save $70 by buying it online and having it shipped to her address. That savings was primarily in sales tax. And while my state requires taxpayers to claim all online purchases and pay the sales tax on them, it doesn't seem to be able to enforce the tax. This is good for bargain hunters, but terrible for local merchants.