The Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement: A Brief Description

Publication Date: February 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Banking and finance

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Abstract:

Sales taxes are an important source of revenue for most states. The expansion of Internet commerce, where vendors and customers are often in different states, has eroded part of that revenue stream. As a result of U.S. Supreme Court decisions, states are prevented from requiring remote (out-of-state) vendors to collect sales taxes. The Court noted that it would be too burdensome on interstate commerce for remote vendors to comply with each state's unique tax code. For this reason, several states are participating in an initiative to simplify and coordinate their tax codes -- called the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA). The member states hope that Congress could be persuaded to allow them to require out-of-state vendors to collect taxes from customers in SSUTA member states. In the 109th Congress, two bills, S. 2152 (Enzi) and S. 2153 (Dorgan), have been introduced that would allow states that have adopted the SSUTA to compel out-of-state vendors to collect sales and use taxes. This report will be updated as legislative events warrant. Cameron Ackroyd, an intern in the Government and Finance Division of CRS, contributed to this report.