LANSING – Leading up to its annual conference in Chicago next week, the National Conference of State Legislatures is renewing a push for Congress to close what the group calls a loophole in sales tax collections from online retailers such as Amazon.

Members of NCSL’s Executive Committee Task Force on State and Local Taxation recently sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee in which they urged approval of the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act. They said the bill would level the playing field between online and brick-and-mortar stores while bringing in lost revenue for governments.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to inform you of the concerns of state legislators about state and local taxation in the new economy, specifically, the ability of state and local governments to collect the sales and use tax presently owed on transactions with remote sellers, which occur primarily through electronic commerce,” the bipartisan group of state lawmakers wrote.

“The Marketplace Fairness Act will provide those states that comply with the simplification requirements outlined in the legislation, the authority to require remote sellers to collect those states’ sales taxes.”

None of the signatories to the letter were lawmakers from Michigan. Governor Rick Snyder has written Congress urging it to act.

The act would promote fairness among retailers without promoting “new or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce,” they wrote.

“We desire, however, to establish a simplified sales and use tax collection system that allows sellers regardless of where they are located to collect and remit the legally owed sales and use taxes,” the lawmakers said in their letter.

Under the current system, states could lose an estimated $23 billion in revenue in 2012, according to data compiled by NCSL.

Governors and members of state legislatures have lobbied Congress for years to help close what they have viewed as a loophole in the ability of officials to collect sales taxes from online retailers. NCSL has backed a Streamlined Sales Tax initiative under which states have joined forces to try to align their individual sales and use tax laws. The voluntary system has yielded mixed success, but lacks statutory authority possible through congressional action.

NCSL’s Legislative Summit in Chicago runs August 6-9. A variety of topics will be covered during numerous policy sessions throughout the week, including the effects of the federal health care law, stand your ground self-defense statutes, state immigration policies, online gaming and other issues.

Among the speakers slated for the event is former Governor John Engler, who will join fellow businessmen Douglas Oberhelman and Edward B. Rust Jr. to “give their perspectives on what it takes to create jobs and the different roles government and businesses can play,” NCSL said.

Pulitzer Prize winning Author Doris Kearns Goodwin, who will discuss President Theodore Roosevelt, economic forecaster Diane Swonk and pollsters Neil Newhouse and Peter Hart are also scheduled to give presentations during NCSL’s annual meeting.

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