Senate Committee Votes to Level the Playing Field for Florida Businesses
PrintThe Florida Chamber of Commerce supports leveling the playing field for Florida’s small businesses and retailers by closing the internet sales tax loophole. When internet-only retailers do not collect sales taxes, Florida businesses are put at an automatic 6.5% competitive disadvantage.
A Florida Chamber-backed e-fairness bill passed the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee with an 8-1 vote this morning. Specifically, SB 1514 by Sen. Nancy Detert will:
- Require equal application of the law between online-only and brick-and-mortar retailers to ensure sales and use taxes are collected in a simple and fair fashion;
- Protect consumers by ensuring that an online-only retailer properly collects and remits sales tax and does not leave the burden on customers; and
- Ensure small businesses investing in our communities are not punished by an unfair tax advantage for internet-only retailers.
SB 1514 was passed with an amendment by Sen. Mike Bennett that ensures this legislation is revenue-neutral. The Florida Chamber is working to get Florida’s economy back on tract without raising taxes to do it. Closing the internet sales tax loophole will encourage local, home-grown job creation while helping to close budget shortfalls.
The Florida Chamber has partnered with the Florida Alliance for Main Street Fairness, a coalition that is standing up for businesses, consumers and taxpayers by working to close the internet sales tax loophole.
SB 1514 has one more stop in the Senate Budget Committee before it goes to the floor of the Senate. Please take this time to contact your Senators and urge them to support this revenue-neutral e-fairness bill to level the playing field for Florida’s businesses!
In case you missed it: USA Today published an article on e-fairness and the momentum similar legislation has in other states. Click here to read the full article.
To sign-up for grassroots alerts and issues that are important to your business, please visit www.FloridaChamber.com/grassroots. For more information on this issue, visit our e-fairness issues page at www.FloridaChamber.com.
