Although it needs to be passed through both houses of Congress, the recent successful vote of the Marketplace Fairness Act by the U.S. Senate is being seen as a victory. Now, all that's left is a vote by the House of Representatives and a final signature by President Barack Obama for the bill – which would allow states to apply sales taxes to internet purchases – to become law.

The Washington Post reports that the legislation was passed in the Senate after a vote of 69 to 27, generating bipartisan support. The potential law would mean that for retailers that operate solely online, they would be required to collect sales tax from shoppers based on the rates of the respective states that buyers live in. Currently, ecommerce merchants, such as eBay and Amazon, do not charge state sales taxes for customers, the source explains.

While some web companies are against the Marketplace Fairness Act, the bill has garnered a large amount of support from both lawmakers and those in the retail industry. The National Retail Federation released a statement saying the legislation makes it more fair for retailers of all sizes to compete in the marketplace.

"Congress needs to address this sales tax disparity and allow retailers to compete freely and fairly," stated NRF chairman of the board Stephen Sadove. "Retailers of all shapes, sizes and channels deserve a level playing field."

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Monday, May 13th, 2013 at 3:03 am .