Brian Fricano, a tech-enabled small business owner in Bloomfield, Colorado, recently submitted an opinion piece to the Daily Camera that urged federal lawmakers to not pass an Internet sales tax bill that would prevent small businesses from prospering. 

“Just like any other business here in the Boulder area, I am responsible for adhering to the state tax laws by collecting sales tax from my customers in Colorado,” wrote Fricano. “However, this proposed law would force me to collect sales tax for almost 10,000 local tax jurisdictions where I have no presence. This burdensome task would dominate my time, force me to invest in expensive software, slow our growth, and make it difficult for me to compete with large retailers.”

The so-called Marketplace Fairness Act passed the U.S. Senate last May and is currently pending in the U.S. House of Representatives where lawmakers are investigating the potential implications of this proposal.  “I am relieved that Congress is taking additional time to analyze the MFA,” expressed Fricano. “Small businesses — whether they operate online or on "Main Street" — employ local residents and help drive economic growth.”

To learn more about the Marketplace Fairness Act and how it would impact small businesses, please read Fricano’s article in the Daily Camera.