Previous Politech message: "Senate extends Net-tax moratorium for two years" http://www.politechbot.com/p-02806.html --- Subject: e-Fairness Press Release Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 11:41:05 -0500 1401 K Street, NW * Suite 1000 * Washington, DC 20005 * 202.789.2111 * 202.789-4883 fax IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Nicole Rowe (202) 789-2111 Tuesday, November 12, 2002 e-Fairness Coalition Retail and Real Estate Congratulate States on Effort to Unify State Sales Taxes e-Fairness Coalition Appreciates Pro-Business Action WASHINGTON, DC (November 12, 2002) The e-Fairness Coalition today applauded the Streamlined Sales Tax Implementing States (SSTIS) for responding to calls from Congress, the national Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce (ACEC) and the business community to create a uniform and simplified state sales tax system. Delegates from thirty-one states, plus the District of Columbia, in close cooperation with retailers and other business interests, are expected to finalize today an historic agreement that will enable state sales tax systems to adapt to the modern, digital economy. Tripp Funderburk, Policy Advisor to the e-Fairness Coalition, said, Today the SSTIS delivers the message that they are working with the business community to create a more efficient, pro-business environment. We are excited about their efforts and encourage state legislatures to quickly adopt the terms of the agreement. The e-Fairness Coalition has long advocated a level playing field for the collection of sales taxes for both online and brick and mortar retailers. The SSTIS Agreement is a giant step in the direction of fairness, and it will also greatly reduce tax complexity for American businesses, continued Funderburk. The e-Fairness Coalition represents brick-and-mortar and on-line retailers, retail associations, publicly- and privately-owned shopping centers, the Newspaper Association of America, and members of the high-tech community such as Gateway and Vertical Net ### Editors note: Reporters who want more information or to interview members of the SSTIS or the e-Fairness Coalition can call Nicole Rowe at (202) 789-2111. [] MEMBERS LIST Alabama Retail Association American Booksellers Association American Jewelers Association Ames Department Stores Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Circuit City Stores, Inc. Electronic Commerce Association First Washington Realty Trust, Inc. Florida Retail Federation Gateway Companies, Inc. General Growth Properties, Inc. Georgia Retail Association Great Lakes Booksellers Association Home Depot Illinois Retail Merchants Association International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) International Mass Retail Association (IMRA) Kentucky Retail Association Kimco Realty Corporation K-Mart Corporation Lowe's Companies, Inc. Michigan Retailers Association Mid-South Booksellers Association Missouri Retailers Association Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association National Association of College Stores National Association of Convenience Stores National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) National Association of Realtors (NAR) National Community Pharmacists Association National Retail Federation (NRF) New England Booksellers Association Newspaper Association of America North American Retail Dealers Association (NARDA) Northern California Independent Booksellers Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Performance Warehouse Association RadioShack Corporation Regency Realty Corporation Retailers Association of Massachusetts (RAM) Sears Roebuck and Co. ShopKo Simon Property Group Southeast Booksellers Association Southern California Booksellers Association South Carolina Merchants Association Target, Inc. Taubman Centers, Inc. The Gap, Inc. The Macerich Company The Musicland Group, Inc. The Real Estate Roundtable (RER) The Rouse Company Variety Wholesalers VerticalNet, Inc. Virginia Retail Merchants Association Wal-Mart Weingarten Realty Investors Westfield America, Inc. (As of November 12, 2002) --- News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 12, 2002 Contact: Christine LaPaille or Jason Feuchtwanger, 202/624-5334 states pass streamlined sales tax agreement WASHINGTONThe National Governors Association commended delegates from 32 states, who approved today on a 31-0 vote, a model interstate agreement to streamline the nation's sales tax system. The agreement now goes to each state, which must enact legislation to bring their state and local sales tax laws into conformity with the agreement. The agreement, which would become operable as soon as 10 states enact legislation, would establish uniform definitions for taxable goods and would require participating states and local governments to have only one statewide tax rate for each type of product effective 2006. "States, in cooperation with the business community, continue to make great progress," NGA Chairman Kentucky Gov. Paul E. Patton said. "This new agreement creates a more efficient system for both businesses and state and local governments." "This is a 21st century system that will dramatically improve the morass that currently exists," Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt said. It is estimated that a simplified system could save businesses millions of dollars in efficiencies by removing the burden of complying with existing laws, rules and regulations in thousands of jurisdictions. Implementation of the agreement would also create a level playing field between "remote" sellers which are not obligated to collect and remit sales taxes and Main Street retailers, which must collect sales taxes. Currently, America's sales and use tax system, with 7,500 state and local taxing jurisdictions across the nation, is antiquated, complex, and cumbersome to businesses in today's New Economy. One of the problems with so many taxing jurisdictions is that they often have different laws or definitions of what is taxable. For example, a marshmallow might be defined as a food in one state, but as a candy - and therefore not taxed - in the next. That arrangement makes it very difficult for "remote" retailers, such as mail order companies and e-commerce companies, to calculate, collect, and remit sales taxes at varying rates to different state and local governments. The effort, if successful, would be the first overhaul of the nation's sales tax policy in 40 years, and the first time states had acted together to significantly restructure the system. A 1992 U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that states must first simplify their sales tax laws in order to require out-of-state retailers to collect and remit those levies. Congressional action or a decision by the high court would be needed to give states that authority. In Nov. 2001, Congress extended for two years a moratorium on Internet access taxes. Those are the fees consumers pay to Internet Service Providers. The legislation does not apply to the collection of sales and use taxes. ### ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. 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