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.

Last week, hundreds of small business owners met with elected officials in Washington, D.C., to communicate firsthand the need to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act. Participants in the two-day fly-in included Sarah Pishko of Prince Books and ABA Board member Sarah Bagby of Watermark Books & Café.

The U.S. Senate may vote on the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 as early as next week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to bring the bill directly to the floor for a vote without first referring it to the Senate Finance Committee, according to published reports.

As the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 continues to gain momentum in the U.S. Congress, three more states are considering enactment of sales tax fairness legislation that would level the playing field for Main Street retailers.

Two indie booksellers were among an array of small business owners who traveled to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, April 11, to meet with members of Congress to press for passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act.

The campaign for sales tax fairness gained tremendous momentum with two major victories in the last few weeks, but now, more than ever, it’s crucial to keep the pressure on federal legislators.

On Thursday, March 28, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled 4-1 in favor of the state’s sales tax fairness law, dismissing arguments made by Amazon.com and Overstock.com that the law was unconstitutional.

New York Times editorial favors sales tax fairness; free bookseller subscription to ForeWord Reviews; European Union to approve Penguin, Random House merger; France budgets for bookstore assistance

On Tuesday, March 19, in advance of the Senate’s landslide vote in favor of sales tax fairness, ABA joined with Jewelers of America to meet with key U.S. senators and representatives in Washington, D.C., in support of the Marketplace Fairness Act (S.336/H.R.684).