Op-Ed Supporting California Sales Tax Fairness Provision Now Available

This week, the American Booksellers Association, Northern California Independent Booksellers Association, and Southern California Independent Booksellers Association have made available an op-ed [1] in support of an e-fairness provision in California's proposed budget. If enacted, the provision would require out-of-state online retailers to collect California sales tax on sales to California residents. The groups are asking their bookseller members to send the op-ed to their local papers in an effort to garner support for the provision.

"Education is a key component of the campaign for e-fairness in California, and an op-ed is an effective tool in combating common misunderstandings about e-fairness," said ABA CEO Oren Teicher. "State legislators read their local papers, as well, so the op-ed sends them a very powerful message that retail businesses in their communities support the e-fairness provision in the budget plan. However, time is of the essence. Booksellers need to act now." Last week, ABA, NCIBA, and SCIBA reached out to their respective California members and urged their bookseller members to contact their lawmakers and to ask them to support the sales tax fairness provision.

To make the process easier for booksellers, ABA, NCIBA, and SCIBA have created a template op-ed [1] that booksellers can send to their local paper. In addition, they are urged to adapt and send the template letter [1] to their lawmakers if they have not done so. Booksellers are asked to notify David Grogan [2], ABA senior public policy analyst, after they have contacted their legislators. This will help ABA compile information to support this lobbying effort. Teicher stressed that booksellers e-mail or call their lawmakers, whichever is most convenient for them. If they call, they can simply use the template letter for talking points.