Our former Director of Government Affairs, Paul Gessing, penned a great op-ed about the so-called “Marketplace Fairness Act,” which is better known as the internet sales tax bill. Opponents of this massive expansion of government power have claimed it is necessary to help the small business community. Paul, however, notes that some small businesses would actually be devastated by the legislation:
One Albuquerque-based business owner has stated he would no longer sell his product online under an Internet taxation regime as set up under the Marketplace Fairness Act. The issue is not an unwillingness to have his consumers “pay their fair share,” but the compliance costs that involve submitting documentation, often on a monthly basis even if his company has no sales in that particular jurisdiction.
He is by no means the only small business owner to face negative repercussions from Congressional overreach on Internet sales. It is one big reason why Ebay, Etsy, and their small, but numerous sellers oppose the Act while the online behemoth Amazon has become one of its primary advocates.
The “Marketplace Fairness Act” isn’t about helping small businesses. Paul pegs the bill for what it really is: an attempt by state tax collectors to get their hands on as much of your money as they possibly can. You can read more about the issue here, here, and here.