Advocacy

Hawaii House Bill 548 died in the state’s Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor this week, following months of opposition by Media Coalition, whose members include ABFFE and AAP.

On Monday, April 11, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation addressing constitutional flaws in a statute that was challenged by a coalition including Harvard Book Store, Porter Square Books, ABFFE, and others.

On Tuesday, April 5, the Senate voted 87 – 12 to fully repeal the expanded 1099 reporting requirement in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The bill, HR 4, now goes to President Obama for his signature.

It is shaping up to be a notable year for sales tax fairness, as more states introduce, pass, or sign sales tax fairness legislation into law despite threats by Amazon.com and Overstock.com to terminate sales affiliates or close warehouses.

This week, ABA hosted sales tax fairness workshops at Booksellers Forums in Salt Lake City, Utah, in conjunction with MPIBA, and Manhattan Beach, California, in conjunction with SCIBA.

As the sales tax fairness fight continues to gain momentum nationwide, on Monday, March 28, booksellers in Connecticut and Texas testified before legislative committees about pending legislation.

There have been two recent victories in sales tax parity – affiliate nexus legislation approved by the Arkansas legislature, and, in South Dakota, new legislation enacted into law.

George Skelton, political columnist for the Los Angeles Times, believes that Amazon.com and other online sellers that have affiliates in the state of California should be paying sales tax on purchases by in-state residents.

In a March 18 editorial, the New York Times said, “Collecting state taxes is not an unreasonable burden for online retailers,” and “states should not give in to Amazon’s pressure tactics.”

The fight to restore safeguards for reader privacy that were eliminated by the USA Patriot Act took an important step forward last week.

On the heels of the passage of an affiliate nexus law in Illinois, sales tax fairness bills in Vermont, Arkansas, and Minnesota have had early successes.

In what is a significant victory for sales tax fairness, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn today signed sales tax fairness legislation into law. HB3659 will require remote retailers with broad networks of online affiliates in Illinois to collect and remit sales tax for purchases made by Illinois residents.

On Monday, March 7, the California Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation heard testimony regarding one of several sales tax equity bills expected to be introduced this legislative session. Speakers at the hearing included NCIBA Executive Director Hut Landon.

The national fight for sales tax equity garnered prominent media attention this week, even as Amazon.com threatened to terminate its affiliate marketers in California should the state pass e-fairness legislation.

This week, ABA CEO Oren Teicher wrote to Texas Gov. Rick Perry to express the association’s full support for the state comptroller’s attempts to collect back sales tax from Amazon.com and to require the online retailer to collect and remit future sales tax to the state.