Sears Holdings supports bill to level sales tax playing field

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings Thursday expressed support for S. 1832, the Marketplace Equity Act, introduced by U.S. Sens. Enzi, Alexander and Durbin. The legislation will level the sales tax collection playing field for local businesses by granting the states authority to enforce existing laws and require out-of-state, online-only retailers to collect and remit sales taxes on sales made to state residents.

"This bill will level the sales tax collection playing field for all retailers and we commend the efforts of Sens. Enzi, Alexander and Durbin and the seven other cosponsors of the legislation. The support of these senators shows that there is strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress to level the sales tax collection playing field for all retailers. Although many customers don't realize it, under current law, they have an obligation to pay taxes on all purchases. Most retailers calculate and collect the tax at the point of sale, as required by law. However, online-only merchants currently do not have to collect the tax broadly, leaving the customer with the responsibility of saving receipts and filing and paying use taxes for those purchases on their state income tax returns. This bill closes a loophole that has given a significant and unfair competitive advantage to a handful of online-only retailers, while hurting those that create jobs and invest in local communities."