If the complexities that its retail competitors have mastered really are an insuperable difficulty for Amazon, it could contract with a commercial vendor that specializes in these calculations, like Vertex, as Netflix does.

What the hell is Stross's point here? If Amazon has deliberately masterminded an enormous sales tax loophole they undoubtedly are not confused or unwilling to deal with the complexities of tax law. By ignoring the obvious subtext with which the Amazon spokesperson suggested "simple" and "fair" taxing schemes for all business models Stross is only making a fool of himself while undermining the entire shoddy article.