Sales Tax News Blog Posts

The US Supreme Court Overturns “Quill” Ban on Online Sales Tax

June 21, 2018

In a 5-4 decision announced on Thursday, the Supreme Court overturned a 1992 ruling in Quill vs. North Dakota that explicitly banned states from taxing companies that don’t have a physical presence within their borders. The ruling came in the case of South Dakota vs. Wayfair, as South Dakota attempted to overturn the previous ruling. South Dakota cited their losses in not being able to collect sales tax on online sales, totaling nearly $50 million a year, and the Government Accountability Office citing nearly $14 billion in total missed tax revenue for all states. The case was a divisive issue… Read More

The Facts about the Oregon Tax on Healthcare

January 10, 2018

A controversy is brewing in Oregon surrounding a bill that passed the state legislature last June and that involves taxes on certain health insurance plans and health care organizations. While the original bill passed with bi-partisan support, its opponents didn’t give up the fight, and now the measure is facing a potential repeal vote in an upcoming special election. The Original Bill House Bill 2391 passed the Oregon state senate by a vote of 20-10, and was promptly signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. The measure was developed as part of a compromise to try and close a $1.4… Read More

How Service Taxability is Changing in 2017

March 13, 2017

When sales taxes first went into effect in the 1930s, they generally only applied to the purchase of physical property. This reflected the nature of the economy, but many things have changed since then, including the number and types of services available. This has led states to reassess whether to tax services and which ones to tax. Many states now do consider at least some services to be taxable, and that list looks to continue growing over time. Taxes on Services As a rule, services used to not be taxed if they were pure services. That means that the service… Read More

2016 Sales Tax Holidays

February 8, 2016

Sales tax holidays are a chance for consumers to get a discount and a break on common purchases. Many states offer these holidays once or twice a year, often coinciding with back to school or other times when purchases are extensive for the needs of the family. For traditional retailers, these holidays are familiar, and for consumers they are great. But for only retailers who may not be prepared for the sudden shift in tax collection requirements, they can create immediate headaches. To help you prepare for the year ahead, here are the 2016 sales tax holidays and how they… Read More

2016 Presidential Candidates: Where Do They Stand on Taxes?

November 3, 2015

As we discussed in "Is Sales Tax Fair?", FairTax™, Marketplace Fairness Act and other issues affecting ecommerce retailers are hot topics as the 2016 Presidential election draws near. There is still a wide selection of candidates and where they stand on these matters is an important topic for all voters, especially small business owners. As states implement ways to add more taxes, the sweeping reforms suggested by these presidential hopefuls could either help or harm online retailers. Today, we’re going to take a look at where each of the candidates stands on matters of income tax, sales tax and related… Read More