Sales Tax Fairness Outreach Needed

The American Booksellers Association is urging bookstore members to reach out to their U.S. representatives in support of the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (H.R.684). The bill, which currently awaits consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives, would grant states the right to require remote retailers that do $1 million or more in gross remote sales per year to collect and remit sales tax to the state.

To make outreach easier, ABA has created a template letter that booksellers can adapt and e-mail to their representatives or use as a source for talking points in a phone call.

Passage of H.R.684 is expected to be a tough battle, so it is crucial that House legislators hear from small businesses, especially independent booksellers.

Importantly, booksellers whose representatives are members of the Judiciary Committee are asked to contact ABA Senior Public Policy Analyst David Grogan so that he can facilitate meetings between representatives and booksellers along with other independent businesses. A face-to-face meeting with four or five different types of indie businesses would send a powerful message to the representative that the current sales tax inequity affects all types of small retailers.

Booksellers with questions about the Marketplace Fairness Act should contact Grogan via phone at (800) 637-0037, ext. 7562, or e-mail. In addition, booksellers who send letters to their representatives should let Grogan know so that ABA can track this important advocacy effort.