The following is from the World Floor Covering Association concerning the latest on the Marketplace Fairness Act.
As an initial step in ultimately passing the Marketplace Fairness Act, the Senate voted 75 to 25 to allow states to collect sales taxes from internet and mail order companies. The Marketplace Fairness Act addresses a fundamental unfairness that allows out-of-state internet and mail order companies to avoid collecting and remitting state and local sales taxes while local brick and mortar stores are obligated to collect these taxes. The proposed legislation would create a program that would require internet and mail order sellers to collect and remit sales taxes to states that elect to participate in the federal program.
WFCA members played a vital role in passing this initial measure. The WFCA, at the request of its legislative counsel LobbyIt, contacted members in Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, New York and Pennsylvania and requested they contact their Senators to request their support for the measure. Our members response was immediate and ensured that their Senators knew the importance of the Marketplace Fairness Act to traditional brick and mortar stores, the backbone of America’s economy. The Act will allow WFCA members to compete fairly with out-of-state internet and mail order companies that currently do not collect sales taxes.
While this is just the first step, WFCA members’ response impressed the Senate staff and provided an important and loud voice that will be respected in the future. WFCA members will have more opportunities to influence important legislation.