Sales Tax Initiative

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.

ABA’s 2011 Spring Forum Tour arrives in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Thursday, March 3. The program, presented in conjunction with GLiBA, will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Big Hat Books & Arts.

On Wednesday, February 16, ABA member booksellers testified at hearings on sales tax fairness bills that would clarify existing state laws in Arizona and in Vermont.

Rather than comply with an assessment from the state of Texas to pay $269 million in uncollected sales tax, Amazon.com has announced that it will close its distribution facility in the Dallas suburb of Irving on April 12 and will cancel plans to build additional facilities in the state.

The North Carolina Department of Revenue has reached a settlement in the legal fight regarding the state’s request for sales data from Amazon.com in its efforts to recoup an estimated $50 million in lost tax revenue for online purchases.

On Tuesday, February 1, four ABA member booksellers braved threats of an impending blizzard and joined other retailers in a meeting with members of Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s office to urge the governor to sign HB3659, sales tax fairness legislation.

On January 6, the Illinois House of Representatives passed HB3659, legislation that contains a sales tax fairness provision. The bill, which was approved by the state Senate on Wednesday, January 5, will require remote retailers with online affiliates in the state acting as sales agents to collect and remit sales tax for purchases made by Illinois residents.

**Breaking News: As of press time, Bookselling This Week had learned that the Illinois House of Representatives passed HB3659. The legislation now goes to the Governor Quinn's office for his signature. The following article was written prior to the House vote.** This week, in Illinois, legislation containing a sales tax fairness provision was introduced and was quickly – and overwhelmingly – passed by the state Senate on Wednesday, January 5. The bill, HB3659, moved to the House where it could be voted on as soon as today.