The
National Retail Federation (NRF) has created a coalition of leading retail
companies in support of a "level tax playing field," an equal tax collection
policy, for e-commerce vendors and brick-and-mortar retailers. By 2002,
it is estimated that nearly $300 Billion in goods and services will be
traded on the Internet, yet most online retailers are not subject to the
same taxes as traditional retailers. Traditional retailers are placed
at a price disadvantage because of an inequity in the collection of taxes
that provides a windfall benefit to online and catalog retailers.
The
NRF encourages and supports Responsible Sales Tax Collection For the
New Economy --where a product is taxed (or not taxed) the same, regardless
of how it is ordered or delivered. While we do not advocate or support
any new taxes on retailers, we do believe both channels of commerce will
flourish if they are allowed to play on a level field. These are just
a few of the reasons why the NRF is urging Congress to impose responsible
tax collection: