Tod Cohen, vice president and deputy general counsel of government relations at eBay Inc., was featured in USA Today and makes the case for why Congress should not burden small businesses by passing the Internet sales tax bill. To illustrate what these small businesses are really like, he tells the story of Jon Gonzales, owner of a computer accessories business in Virginia:
As the debate around the Marketplace Fairness Act continues to heat up, small business owners are speaking out against the incredible burdens this bill creates.
Take a listen, as you hear from real people, why this legislation is a bad idea!
Yesterday, Senator Shaheen (D-NH) went to the Senate floor to express her opposition to the Internet sales tax legislation that is currently moving in the U.S.
Bloomberg’s Sheila Dharmarajan reported on the Marketplace Fairness Act, detailing which companies are for this bill and which are against. Dharmarajan highlights what we already know: as Amazon has grown into a retail giant, increasingly expanding its physical presence, they’ve had to begin collecting taxes. This has led to their sudden support of this bill. Along with other large retailers such as Wal-mart and Target, Amazon is lobbying heavily for the passage of this bill to successfully squeeze out small and medium businesses.
Today, Senator Ayotte (R-NH) went down to the Senate floor to express her continued opposition to the Internet sales tax bill that the Senate is currently considering. During her speech, Senator Ayotte outlined her concerns with allowing state tax enforcement authorities to cross state borders and impose burdens on businesses located thousands of miles away and the constitutional concerns with this legislation.
Last week CCTV interviewed New York City small business owner Kathy Terrill. Kathy runs a small online business selling designer clothing and trending fitness DVDs.
Kathy is yet another small business owner that would be adversely affected by the Marketplace Fairness Act. Kathy runs her shop on her own with some occasional help from her husband. With the potential for new tax burdens the future of her business is very uncertain. Kathy simply lacks the time and manpower this legislation requires.
Wayne Johnson is a small business owner in Caldwell, Idaho. Wayne owns a physical fly fishing shop and uses the Internet to grow and expand his business. Under the Marketplace Fairness Act, Wayne would find himself above the proposed $1 million threshold, forcing him to collect and remit sales tax in over 9,600 taxing jurisdictions. As Wayne puts it, this bill would completely change the way he runs his business, possibly even jeopardizing the ability to keep his 8 employees.