Sales Tax Bill Passes U.S. Senate

By Jason Boog 

The U.S. Senate has passed the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (S.743), approving a bill that would make online sellers with $1 million or more in yearly sales (including booksellers like Amazon) collect state sales tax.

The U.S. House of Representatives must now consider the bill. The bill was introduced by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Michael Enzi (R-WY) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND). It passed with a 69 to 27 vote. American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher had this official statement:

We are grateful that the U.S. Senate has done the right thing and is standing up for Main Street retailers by passing the Marketplace Fairness Act … This victory is the direct result of the tireless work of thousands of booksellers nationwide, who, year after year, have advocated for sales tax fairness. Recognizing that this fight is far from over, importantly, today we are one very important step closer to leveling the playing field for Main Street retailers.”