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New Remote Sales Tax Simplification Bill
Less Onerous Than MFA or State Initiatives
Dear Industry Executive:
Although some remote sellers would prefer to see the 1992 Quill v. North Dakota sales tax precedent remain intact indefinitely, last year nearly ushered in the Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA). If passed, it would have been devastating. Fortunately, ACMA – and the TruST coalition we cofounded – fought hard so that enough lawmakers realized the Senate-passed MFA would have disastrous effects – and the House did not act.
Unfortunately, our assessment is that Quill won’t hold up for much longer. Furthermore, in the absence of clarifying federal legislation, states are becoming increasingly creative and aggressive, ushering in the potential for a patchwork of contradictory state laws with the need to fight a multi-front war. ACMA’s position has been to deal with this reality, working to find the best way towards “fairness.” Throughout the past year, TruST and ACMA worked closely with Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.-6th), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, on an MFA alternative. On January 12th, the Chairman began circulating a discussion draft. You may prefer to read a section-by-section analysis the Chairman is also circulating. While not perfect, this bill is far better for catalogers than MFA.
Industry Must Step Up Now
I’m coming to you for your support. When we launched TruST nearly three years ago, we received enough industry funding allowing TruST to stop the MFA freight train in favor of common sense. We used our contributions carefully, making them last twice as long as projected. We have now exhausted this money. Meanwhile, backed by Amazon and big-box retail, MFA proponents are gearing up to launch a new version of their flawed bill.
Without your support, we can’t have continued success. So please go to ACMA’s Action Funds web page and make a significant donation today. Any amount you can muster will help. $25,000 or more will give you an (optional) seat on TruST’s steering committee.
Not convinced? Consider this: MFA proponents have spent about $20M over 15 years. TruST has spent $200k over the past two-plus years. David beat Goliath in the 113th Congress, but this is far from over. We need to continue to be on our A-game in Washington and in the press, as well as deliver a coordinated constituent outreach at the right time to support a reasonable bill. We are still significantly out-gunned, but with continued support we’ve proven we can convince Washington to do the right thing. Let’s not let the opportunity to get this right slip away. Click here to take action!
Sincerely,
Hamilton Davison
President & Executive Director
American Catalog Mailers Association
www.catalogmailers.org
hdavison@catalogmailers.org
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About ACMA
ACMA is a Washington-based not-for-profit organization specifically created to advocate for the unique collective interests of catalog mailers in regulatory, public and administrative matters where the shared impact transcends individual company interests. The only catalog owned and controlled trade group focused solely on the business interests of catalogers and their supply chain, ACMA participates in rule-making and other proceedings of significance where a single collective voice increases influence and effectiveness. Membership is open to any party with direct interests in the catalog industry. More information can be found at www.catalogmailers.org.
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