Should Online Retailers Collect Sales Tax?

It's hard to think of any way that Paramus retailers could be considered disadvantaged.

But the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association said online retailers, which don't have to collect sales taxes, have an edge over the brick-and-mortar businesses that line Routes 4 and 17. The state lost $171 million in sales taxes in 2009, the group says.

Just last week, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced that Amazon will be required to collect sales tax in the state starting in 2014. The Internet retailer made the deal after the state legislature held up its plans to build two distribution centers in the state.

California wil start collecting sales taxes from online retailers, too.

Lisa Hermann, a spokeswoman for Westfield, which owns the , said the company would favor a similar policy in-state.

"Westfield supports the idea that all retailers—regardless of whether they do business on-line, in malls or on Main Street—should be treated the same in terms of sales and use tax collection responsibilities," she said.

So should New Jersey get on board? Tell us in the attached poll or in the comments below.

Be sure to check out the results from .