WASHINGTON, D.C. -
Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) says online retailers need to play by the same rules as main street merchants.
Welch is working on a bill called the Main Street Fairness Act. He says the bill levels the playing field between brick and mortar stores and those on the Internet. The act would require online companies to collect a sales tax if the buyer lives in a state that has one.
"It's not a new tax. The way it works now is if there is a sales tax, that's supposed to be collect by the merchant at the point of sale. Obviously our downtown merchants do that. Our Internet retailers don't. So the Main Street Fairness Act would require that the Internet sellers, like Amazon, like E-Bay, that they collect the sales tax that is due and then remit it to the state," Welch said.
Welch said he's seeing more bipartisan support for the bill. He wants it included in the current fiscal budget negotiations.
