Since 1992, the Supreme Court ruling in Quill Corporation vs. North Dakota has exempted online retailers from collecting sales tax for states in which they have no physical presence. This has given online sellers up to a 10 percent advantage over brick-and-mortar stores.
Right now, bills before both houses of Congress would level the playing field and give states the right to require online sellers to enforce existing sales tax laws, regardless of where or how the sale takes place. This is not a new tax. It simply closes a tax loophole.
After all, is it fair for the government to favor one segment of retail over another?
Not only has the current law hurt small retailers, it has hurt us all as states and municipalities lose billions nationwide in sales tax.
