Late last week, Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA) introduced the Main Street Fairness Act (H.R. 5660) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would authorize the 24 states that are part of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA) to require remote retailers to collect and remit sales tax on orders in their states. According to Delahunt, this bill is designed to help states retrieve billions in sales tax revenues that are owed but currently going uncollected while providing long overdue relief to Main Street businesses by restoring fairness and competition to the marketplace.
We at HTP applaud Delahunt's efforts on behalf of Main Street retailers. We can all be happy that Rep. Delahunt has introduced this important legislation, and should urge Congress to give this legislation high priority.
We need federal legislation to establish sales tax equity. The goal should be to find a solution to the enormous inequity that currently exists among retailers and to provide states with badly needed revenue in these difficult economic times. As such, while we back Rep. Delahunt's efforts to the fullest, we also will continue to vigorously support affiliate nexus laws here in California such as the ones passed in New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.