Today, Senator Ayotte (R-NH) went down to the Senate floor to express her continued opposition to the Internet sales tax bill that the Senate is currently considering. During her speech, Senator Ayotte outlined her concerns with allowing state tax enforcement authorities to cross state borders and impose burdens on businesses located thousands of miles away and the constitutional concerns with this legislation.
Last week CCTV interviewed New York City small business owner Kathy Terrill. Kathy runs a small online business selling designer clothing and trending fitness DVDs.
Kathy is yet another small business owner that would be adversely affected by the Marketplace Fairness Act. Kathy runs her shop on her own with some occasional help from her husband. With the potential for new tax burdens the future of her business is very uncertain. Kathy simply lacks the time and manpower this legislation requires.
Wayne Johnson is a small business owner in Caldwell, Idaho. Wayne owns a physical fly fishing shop and uses the Internet to grow and expand his business. Under the Marketplace Fairness Act, Wayne would find himself above the proposed $1 million threshold, forcing him to collect and remit sales tax in over 9,600 taxing jurisdictions. As Wayne puts it, this bill would completely change the way he runs his business, possibly even jeopardizing the ability to keep his 8 employees.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is attempting to bypass the Senate Finance Committee and bring the Marketplace Fairness Act to a vote as early as next week. eBay continues to fight, as we have for more than 15 years, to protect small online businesses and sellers. Below is the full letter from CEO John Donahoe to eBay users.
Take action now and send a letter to your members of Congress. It only takes a minute!
On April 19th, a group of 18 taxpayer advocacy groups and conservative think tanks sent a letter to all 100 Senate offices expressing opposition to the Internet sales tax bill that will likely be voted on next week on the Senate floor. In their letter the groups argue that the bill could cause serious damage to electronic and Interstate commerce by: