Tod Cohen, eBay’s Vice President of Global Government Relations and Deputy General Counsel, was recently interviewed on eBay Radio to discuss the work of the Global Government Relations team and the public policy issues faced by eBay’s small business community.

During the show Tod discussed the new bill proposed by Congressman Chaffetz (R-UT) as an alternative to the Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA), the Remote Transactions Parity Act (RTPA). This bill incorporates many of MFA’s harmful elements, including forcing eBay sellers to collect and remit sales taxes for every jurisdiction to which they sell products. However, the new bill is actually far worse for the eBay community because the small seller exemption does not apply to any seller that uses an electronic marketplace.  So, every eBay seller – regardless of size – will have to collect and remit sales tax to jurisdictions across the country and will be subject to remote audits.

Tod also discussed upcoming trade agreements and customs reauthorization legislation. Notably, the final customs reauthorization bill would include a provision that increases the U.S. de minimis threshold (the value over which customs paperwork and duty fees must be processed on shipments) from $200 to $800 and encourage U.S. trading partners to do the same. The legislation would also update customs policies to improve the ability of U.S. sellers to accept retail returns.

So, how can the eBay community become more involved with Government Relations policy advocacy work? Tod encouraged eBay Radio listeners to sign up for eBay MainStreet and contact their Members of Congress to make their opinions known on the important issues that could affect your business’s bottom line. Your advocacy matters because policymakers listen closely to the concerns of individual constituents above all others.