CRE Associations Line Up Behind Marketplace Fairness Act

WASHINGTON, DC-The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, The International Council of Shopping Centers, The National Retail Federation and a slew of other associations have come out in support of legislation introduced on Thursday that will allow states to collect online sales taxes.

The legislation, which tried but failed to make it across the finish line in the last Congress, has been long promoted by brick-and-mortar retailers frustrated that their online counterparts have been able to escape state’s sales tax regimes. There is a greater chance the bill will make it into law this year as the Senate version, introduced by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) was expected to be in line with previous legislation by the House of Representatives—namely the Senate version also exempted retailers with sales of $1 million or less. Mike Enzi (R-WY), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-SD), also sponsored the Senate legislation. In the House, the legislation was sponsored by Steve Womack (R-AR), Kristi Noem (R-SD), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT) and John Conyers (D-MI).