Sales Tax Initiative

17 Jan

Online Sales Tax Front: ABA Responds to Governors

This week, seven independent trade groups, including the American Booksellers Association, followed up with officials from the 14 states that responded to, or acknowledged, the groups' letter from December calling for the equitable enforcement of sales tax laws. Thus far, states responding to the groups' initial letter are California, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

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10 Jan

ABA Calls on Booksellers to Urge Governors to Enforce Sales Tax Laws

Last December, seven independent trade groups, including the American Booksellers Association, sent a letter to the governors in the 45 states with sales tax calling on them to equitably enforce existing tax laws by requiring out-of-state retailers and commercial resellers with nexus in states to collect sales tax.

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13 Dec

Independent Trade Groups Call for E-Fairness

Seven independent trade groups joined together this week to call for the equitable collection of sales tax on online purchases. In a letter to each of the governors in the 45 states that collect sales tax, the organizations urged states to enforce existing tax laws by requiring out-of-state online businesses with nexus in their states to collect sales tax.

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06 Dec

Independent Trade Groups Meet in D.C. for Summit

On November 29 and 30, several independent trade organizations, including the American Booksellers Association, met for an "Independent Trades Summit" in Washington, D.C. The gathering provided the associations with an opportunity to discuss common goals and challenges specific to independent retailers and businesses. Industries represented at the summit included bookselling, toys, gifts, bicycles, hardware, pharmacies, and office products.

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06 Dec

Participation in Sales Tax Letter-Writing Campaign Crucial

The American Booksellers Association is calling on booksellers in the 45 states that charge sales tax to write to their governors now to urge that online retailers with in-state affiliates be required to collect sales tax in accordance with existing laws. To help booksellers in this crucial endeavor, ABA has prepared a template letter (below) that can be adapted and sent. The letter emphasizes that booksellers are not calling for new Internet taxes, but, rather, the enforcement of tax laws already in place.

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06 Dec

BTW News Briefs


NRF Urges Passage of Internet Sales Tax Bill

On December 6, a witness testifying on behalf of the National Retail Federation urged a congressional committee to approve sales tax simplification legislation (The Sales Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2007, H.R. 3396) that would make it easier to require Internet merchants, mail-order houses, and other "remote sellers" to collect sales tax across state lines.

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29 Nov

The Iron Is Hot: Booksellers Urged to Write Governors to Call for Sales Tax Fairness

Following up on a letter that 30 New York State booksellers sent to Governor Eliot Spitzer urging him to require online retailers with affiliates in the state to collect sales tax, the American Booksellers Association is asking booksellers in the other 44 states that charge sales tax to urge their governors to equitably enforce existing tax laws. To help booksellers in this crucial endeavor, ABA has prepared a template letter (below) that can be adapted and sent.

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21 Nov

New York Booksellers Call on Governor to Enforce Sales Tax Laws

This week, 29 American Booksellers Association-member booksellers in New York State called on Governor Eliot Spitzer to enforce the equitable collection of sales tax. In a letter dated Wednesday, November 21, the booksellers stressed that, when out-of-state online retailers with clear nexus in the state via New York-based affiliations skirt tax laws, New York-based businesses lose sales as shoppers take advantage of tax-free shopping. The booksellers stressed that the situation is only compounded at holiday time.

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15 Nov

Reversal of Fortune: Spitzer Backtracks on Enforcing Existing Sales Tax Laws

Today, ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz sent a letter to New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer on behalf of New York-based independent booksellers that decries the governor's decision to drop a plan to enforce existing sales tax laws.

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13 Sep

ABA Signs Letter in Support of E-Fairness Legislation

A group of more than 30 retailers and organizations, including the American Booksellers Association, Cody's Books, the Independent Music Retailers Association, the National Retail Federation, and a number of regional booksellers associations, have signed a letter in support of legislation that would simplify sales tax collection and provide equal treatment for local merchants and remote sellers. The letter is being sent to Representatives William J.

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02 Aug

NCIBA Urges California BOE: Close the Unfair "Tax Gap"

This week, the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) and the California Tax Reform Association (CTRA) urged the state's publicly elected tax board to begin collecting sales tax for online purchases from retailers that have nexus in the state of California.

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27 Jun

Washington Joins Streamlined Sales Tax Project

Washington has become the newest member of the Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP), a coalition of 22 states that have simplified their laws to encourage retailers to collect tax on Internet and catalog sales to customers in participating states. The state's membership in SSTP goes into effect on July 1, 2008, though participating out-of-state retailers can begin collecting sales tax from Washington customers this July.

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24 May

Sen. Enzi Reintroduces Tax Bill to Level Playing Field for Main Street Retailers

Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) wants to level the playing field for all in-store, catalog, and online retailers so each has the same sales tax responsibilities.

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01 Jun

All ABA Members Asked to Participate in Legislative Day Follow-Up

The American Booksellers Association is encouraging members who participated in its first-ever Legislative Day at BookExpo America, as well as those who did not, to follow up with their senators and representatives to encourage support for issues of import to independent booksellers. For those who met with their senators, representatives, or congressional staff, ABA suggests a note of thanks for the meeting would provide the perfect opportunity to reiterate their concerns.

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12 Apr

NCSL's Neal Osten to Discuss Streamlined Sales Tax at Legislative Day

This week, the American Booksellers Association announced that Neal Osten, federal affairs counsel for communications and interstate commerce at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), will be a speaker at ABA's first-ever Legislative Day in conjunction with BookExpo America. Osten will provide attendees with an update on the current status of Streamlined Sales and Use Tax legislation (SSUTA) in Congress.

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About ABA

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