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Tax On Amazon Purchases In California Begins Saturday

SACRAMENTO (CBS / AP) -- Online retailer Amazon.com has tried to become all things to all consumers, but in California, it is about to take on a role it fought against for years: tax collector.

The change, which takes effect this weekend, comes after years of bitter back and forth between the world's largest online mall and the California Legislature over whether Internet retailers should have to impose sales taxes on customers. The two sides reached a deal in 2011 that included a one-year grace period set to end Saturday.

The looming deadline has spurred at least some consumers into impulse-buying mode, making big-ticket purchases and stocking up on essentials before the tax collection kicks in.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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