The Senate sided with traditional retailers and financially strapped state and local governments Monday by passing a bill that would widely subject online shopping — for many a largely tax-free frontier — to state sales taxes.The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 69 to 27, getting support from Republicans and Democrats alike. But opposition from some conservatives who view it as a tax increase will make it a tougher sell in the House. President Barack Obama has conveyed his support for the measure.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/senate-to-pass-online-sales-tax-bill-in-victory-for-national-retailers-house-fate-uncertain/2013/05/06/a0f487ee-b61d-11e2-b568-6917f6ac6d9d_story.htmlAlso see:Senate Passes Bill to Widen Tax Collection on the Web
A bipartisan coalition in the Senate easily passed legislation on Monday to force Internet retailers to collect sales taxes for state and local governments, sending the issue to the House, where antitax forces have vowed to kill it.But the 69-to-27 vote in the Senate will give the measure significant momentum. Hundreds of retailers are flying to Washington this week to pressure House lawmakers and counter the arguments of small-government groups, including Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform, which wields great influence in the House.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/business/senate-backs-wider-internet-tax-collection.html
US Senate passes bill letting states tax Internet purchases, siding with traditional retailers
The Senate sided with traditional retailers and financially strapped state and local governments Monday by passing a bill that would widely subject online shopping — for many a largely tax-free frontier — to state sales taxes.