Amazon.com cut ties with business affiliates in North Carolina after the state drafted legislation that would force the company to collect sales tax.

The company sent a notice to affiliates Thursday night, said a spokeswoman for the company. If enacted, the law could take effect as soon as today, she said.

Amazon.com also is fighting tax proposals in at least five other states, including New York, California and Hawaii, calling the efforts unconstitutional.

The company’s affiliates program, called Amazon Associates, started in 1996 and lets Web site owners and bloggers make money by posting ads for Amazon.com products.

If someone clicks through and buys something at Amazon.com’s main store or its Endless.com site, the affiliate gets a referral fee of as much as 15 percent.