Main Street Coalition Backs Revenue-Neutral E-Fairness Bills

The Florida Alliance for Main Street Fairness -- which includes the Florida Retail Federation, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida -- released the following statement in support of a pair of Senate bills that would seek to capture sales taxes from online purchases made by Floridians through companies outside the state:

"Top business leaders today thanked lawmakers for advancing E-Fairness legislation through two key Senate committees.

"Chaired by Senator Jim Norman, R-Tampa, the Florida Senate Finance and Tax Committee introduced SB 2098. The bill, which was championed by Senator Evelyn Lynn, R-Daytona Beach, would expand the definition of physical nexus and affiliate nexus to include online-only sellers, such as Amazon.

"Governor Rick Scott has voiced his support for closing the online sales tax loophole so long as any legislation remains revenue-neutral. Notably, SB 2098 contains a provision that would render it revenue-neutral. The bill is set to be voted out of committee at an upcoming meeting."

SB 1514, sponsored by Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, was also heard in the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday. As amended, the bill passed.

Members of the Florida Senate have taken an important step toward closing a loophole that has been hurting Floridas businesses for too long, said Rick McAllister, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation. The government should not be picking winners and losers. We commend the members of the Florida Senate for their commitment to a level playing field for Florida businesses.

This is a major step forward, said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. We applaud lawmakers for advancing revenue-neutral E-Fairness legislation in the Senate. It represents a lifeline to struggling small businesses and Senate leaders deserve a lot of credit for their timely efforts in support of Main Street.

This is a very encouraging sign, said new AIF CEO Tom Feeney. In these tough economic times, nothing is more important than restoring a level playing field for Florida's small businesses. We commend lawmakers for advancing two pieces of landmark legislation to do just that.

The Florida Alliance for Main Street Fairness is a coalition of small businesses, trade associations and civic groups, which includes the Florida Retail Federation, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida. The group is supporting E-Fairness legislation that would help level the playing field for Florida-based businesses, which are at a government-sponsored competitive disadvantage to out-of-state, online-only sellers.

In addition to SB 2098 and SB 1514, Rep. Mike Horner (R-Kissimmee) has filed HB 861 in the Florida House to address the online sales tax loophole. Click here to read HB 861. Other E-Fairness bills include HB 1085, filed by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota.