Content about Alliance for Main Street Fairness

May 7, 2013
Senate approves online sales tax bill, House next stop for Marketplace Fairness Act proponents

The U.S. Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would enable states to collect sales tax on online transactions, to widespread applause from big-box retail.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Monday passed the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would enable states to collect sales tax on online transactions, to widespread applause from big-box retail. If passed the act would remove the up-to 7% price advantage out-of-state online retailers have over brick-and-click or brick-and-mortar retailers operating and collecting sales taxes within the state. (For a comprehensive list of state sales taxes, click here.) 

September 17, 2012
California becomes latest state to require online retailers to collect sales taxes

As of Saturday, California became the latest state to implement "sales tax fairness," in requiring online-only retailers to begin collecting sales taxes on products sold to California residents.

ARLINGTON, Va. — As of Saturday, California became the latest state to implement "sales tax fairness," in requiring online-only retailers to begin collecting sales taxes on products sold to California residents.

August 30, 2012
Amazon.com to begin collecting sales taxes for purchases made in Pennsylvania

Online giant Amazon.com will begin collecting a 6% state sales tax on purchases being shipped to Pennsylvania beginning Sept. 1, according to published reports.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Online giant Amazon.com will begin collecting a 6% state sales tax on purchases being shipped to Pennsylvania beginning Sept. 1, according to published reports.

The move is being made so that the online retailer will be in compliance with a new Pennsylvania state law going into effect that requires online retailers to collect state taxes if that retailer has a physical presence in the state.

August 30, 2012
Retailers in Pa. and Calif. no longer swimming against a sales tax undercurrent

As of Sept. 1, some 1.2 million Pennsylvanians will be able to go to bed at night secure in the knowledge that their jobs won't be drowned out by some online juggernaut. And by the middle of September, 3.1 million Californians will be able to breathe that same sigh of relief.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — As of Sept. 1, some 1.2 million Pennsylvanians will be able to go to bed at night secure in the knowledge that their jobs won't be drowned out by some online juggernaut. And by the middle of September, 3.1 million Californians will be able to breathe that same sigh of relief. That's how many retail employees there are across those two states.