RILA defends Marketplace Fairness Act

An opinion piece in today’s Wall Street Journal by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has prompted the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) to issue a point-by-point refutation of the essay, entitled “No Internet Taxation without Representation.” 

DeMint, who opposes the Marketplace Fairness Act recently introduced in the U.S. Senate, argues that on-line retailers would have to navigate “nearly 10,000 state, local and municipal tax jurisdictions.” It would not be long, he predicted, before this complicated mandate is replaced by a “streamlined national sales tax.” The cost of compliance for small businesses would be overly burdensome, he stated.

“[The op-ed piece] included a number of factual errors,” the RILA said in an issued statement. To read a summary of DeMint’s arguments -- and the RILA’s counterpoints -- click here.