Retailers push to end special tax treatment for online brands

Conventional retailers are working with industry groups to overturn a tax break that benefits e-commerce brands.

On Monday, the Retail Industry Leaders Association public policy organization called Retail Litigation Center, along with more than 20 retail and wholesale trade associations, filed a document to overturn a rule that the Supreme Court adopted in the pre-Internet era. Specifically, the group hopes to influence the court to reverse special tax breaks given to online retailers.

The brief highlights the pending Supreme Court case, South Dakota v. Wayfair, Overstock, and Newegg, which seeks to repeal the law that keeps states from collecting sales tax from online purchases unless those retailers have a physical presence within their state.

The 1992 decision of Quill Corp. vs. North Dakota upholds this law, which still keeps states from applying sales tax to online purchases. However, the new brief explains that this decision is outdated, since it originally pertained to a majority of catalog companies — a segment that had sales of roughly $180 billion at the time. Currently, online sales today are almost $6 trillion.

“Today’s online giants do not need or deserve the special tax treatment that the court gave mail order catalog companies a half century ago,” said Deborah White, general counsel for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and president of the Retail Litigation Center. “These online companies have taken advantage of a bygone decision in order to evade the tax collection duties that their brick and mortar competitors perform every day.”

White detailed how prevalent online retailers are, especially with increased access through consumers’ smartphones, laptops, tablets, and computers.
more at:  https://www.chainstoreage.com/news/retailers-push-end-special-tax-treatment-online-brands/

Related Posts

Labor disputes in U.S., Canada could disrupt supply chain ops (chainstoreage.com)

While a tentative contract agreement has been reached at West Coast ports, that doesn’t mean supply chain disruptions are over. Retailers are closely following labor disputes at ports in western Canada and a potential Teamsters strike against United Parcel Service. In Canada, workers are on strike at two of the country’s busiest ports: the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Prince Rupert. The walkout started on July 1. Here at home, the Teamsters Union and UPS last week accused each other of abandoning labor negotiations which are aimed at averting what would be the largest strike in the U.S. since the 1950s.

Kohl’s Donates $3 Million to Children’s Wisconsin in Support of Three Additional Mental Health Walk-In Clinic Locations

Kohl’s and Children’s Wisconsin announced a $3 million commitment from Kohl’s that will support the opening of three additional mental health walk-in clinic locations in Wisconsin. The donation, which comes on the first day of National Mental Health Awareness Month, builds on the organizations’ continued work to build awareness, remove barriers, and make critical mental health services more accessible to youth and families across the state. The new locations will offer similar services to those provided at the Craig Yabuki Mental Health Walk-In Clinic on the Children’s Wisconsin Milwaukee campus. The intent is to open one location each year over the next three years. Locations of the new clinics have not yet been selected, but will be spread throughout Wisconsin. “The mental health issues impacting today’s youth are of the utmost importance, and we applaud the work Children’s Wisconsin has been doing to prioritize and develop tangible solutions to support mental wellness for all children,” said Christie Raymond, Kohl’s chief marketing officer. “Through our continued partnership, Kohl’s is proud to play a role in increasing access to critical mental health services and creating pathways to greater health and well-being for kids across Wisconsin.”

U.S. Postal Service Letters FROM Santa Program Provides Santa’s Personalized Response to Your Child’s Letter

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus — and the U.S. Postal Service can help you prove it when Santa replies to your child’s letter — complete with a North Pole postmark. Here are the steps for your child to get a letter back from Santa: •Have your child write a letter to Santa and place it in an envelope addressed to: Santa Claus, North Pole. •Later, when alone, open the envelope and write a personalized response. •Insert the response letter into an envelope and address it to the child. •Add the return address: SANTA, NORTH POLE, to the envelope. •Affix a First-Class Mail stamp, such as a new Christmas Carols Forever stamp to the envelope. •Place the complete envelope into a larger envelope — preferably a Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope — with appropriate postage and address it to: North Pole Postmark Postmaster 4141 Postmark Drive Anchorage, AK 99530-9998. “Letters from Santa” must be received by the Anchorage, AK, postmaster no later than Dec. 15. Santa’s helpers at the Postal Service will take care of the rest. Click Read More below for additional information.
Back To Top
×Close search
Search