Sales Tax Initiative

If the U.S. House passes the Marketplace Fairness Act, it will trigger a lower state income tax bill for residents of Wisconsin and Ohio. The governors of the two states have signed budgets that would reduce income taxes if the House votes in favor of closing the sales tax  loophole on online purchases.

This week, the Marketplace Fairness Coalition (MFC) is urging the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary to hold a hearing on sales tax fairness. MFC includes among its members the American Booksellers Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA).

On Monday, July 1, Amazon.com will begin collecting and remitting sales tax to New Jersey for purchases made by New Jersey residents.

Given the intensity of opponents’ campaign against The Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, ABA is urging its members to contact their Congressperson.

ABA is urging bookstore members to reach out to their U.S. representatives in support of the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (H.R.684). To make outreach easier, ABA has created a template letter.

Following its overwhelming passage by the U.S. Senate, the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 awaits consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives. With no firm timeline yet set by House leadership, ABA is urging its members to write to their representatives in support of the bill, especially if their congressperson is a member of the House Committee on the Judiciary.

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In his bimonthly letter to members, ABA CEO Oren Teicher offers congratulations to booksellers for their years of hard work that led to the recent passage of the Main Street Fairness Act in the Senate, but he notes, with opposition to the bill ratcheting up in the House, more action is required.

This week, ABA CEO Oren Teicher encouraged booksellers to contact their U.S. representatives to urge them to support the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (H.R.684),  which faces a difficult fight in the House.

Following bipartisan approval by the U.S. Senate, the Marketplace Fairness Act will now be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives, where all signs point to a tough fight in the coming months.

On Monday, May 6, the U.S. Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 by a vote of 69 to 27. The legislation would give states the authority to require remote sellers to collect and remit sales tax in the state, so long as the seller does $1 million or more in remote gross sales annually. The bill now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives.

The U.S. Senate has scheduled a vote on the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (S.743/S.336) for Monday, May 6. The Marketplace Fairness Act would give states the right to require remote retailers that do $1 million or more in gross remote sales per year to collect and remit sales tax.

As the Senate moves closer to a vote on the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (S.743/S.336), legislation that would give states the authority to require remote sellers to collect and remit sales tax, numerous editorials and newspaper columns published this week expressed support for the bill’s passage.

On April 21, the Marketplace Fairness Coalition, a diverse array of trade associations and businesses, including ABA, wrote to members of the U.S. Senate to dispute erroneous assertions made by eBay President and CEO John Donahoe about the Marketplace Fairness Act.

On Monday, April 22, the White House endorsed the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, which would give states the authority to require remote sellers to collect and remit sales tax in the state, so long as the seller does more than $1 million in remote gross sales annually. Later in the day, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to move the bill to the Senate floor for debate.