The American Booksellers Association is encouraging booksellers in 44 states that collect sales tax to write to their state legislators to urge them to follow New York's lead and introduce legislation to clarify their state's existing tax laws.
A member of a new California commission that is looking to stabilize the state's budget cycles by modernizing revenue laws said he is open to pursuing an Internet Sales Tax provision similar to the one passed in April 2008 by New York State and recently affirmed in court with the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by Amazon.com.
Following the recent New York State court decision that dismissed Amazon.com's challenge to New York's Internet Sale Tax provision -- which ensures that online retailers collect mandated sales tax -- the Winter Institute session focusing on how booksellers can work to effect important legislative and political change is even more timely.
The American Booksellers Association is calling on booksellers in 44 states that collect sales tax to write to their state legislators today to urge them to follow New York's lead and introduce legislation that would clarify their state's existing tax laws.
On Wednesday, January 14, Sarah Pishko of Prince Books in Norfolk, Virginia, was the focus of a front-page news story in The Virginian-Pilot regarding her e-fairness efforts.
This week, in a letter addressed to Democratic and Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the American Booksellers Association joined the E-Fairness Coalition in calling on Congress to include the provisions of the Sales Tax Fairness and Simplification Act (STFSA) in any economic stimulus legislation under consideration. STFSA is a bipartisan bill introduced in the House (H.R. 3396) by Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA) and in the Senate (S. 34) by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY).
A provision in the proposed 2009 - 2010 New York State budget, unveiled by Gov. David Paterson on December 16, would significantly expand the definition of affiliate nexus for online purchases. The affiliate nexus statute is one of the ways in which Gov. Paterson is looking to close an estimated $15.4 billion budget deficit.
According to a new study by the nonprofit research center Good Jobs First, little-known sales tax laws in 26 states that allow retailers to legally skim a percentage of sales tax revenue to pay for the administrative costs of collecting and remitting sales tax are providing big box retailers with an enormous advantage over their smaller competitors.
The American Booksellers Association is calling on booksellers in 44 states that collect sales tax to write to their governors today to urge that online retailers with in-state affiliates be required to collect and remit sales tax in accordance with existing laws. Recently, 11 independent trade groups wrote to the governors and asked them to equitably enforce existing tax laws.
