Shares of Amazon.com fell precipitously yesterday “after the company reported its net income sagged 30 percent on tax expenses and a new fee-based membership program that expands the online retailer’s foray into free shipping even further,” reports Rachel Konrad in an Associated Press wire story. She notes that the company, which “had told Wall Street investors that operating income would be somewhere between $80 million and $110 million this quarter,” had in actuality earned only $78 million.” As a result, shares on the Nasdac Stock Market fell 99 cents, or 3 percent.