Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement

On June 18, Rhode Island’s legislature passed H 7532, which expands the state’s tax base to computer software and streaming entertainment to comply with the Streamlined Sales & Use Tax Agreement. The bill expands the definition of a taxable sale to include any license, lease, or rental of prewritten or vendor-hosted computer software

By Jessica Kerner and Timothy Gustafson

The Georgia Court of Appeals dismissed a customer class action lawsuit seeking a sales tax refund from a utility company, holding that the applicable statutory provisions for claiming a refund of sales taxes did not authorize the customers to bring a direct refund cause of action against the seller.

At both the federal and state levels, the GOP won a number of game-changing races that will impact state and local tax policy in 2011 and beyond.  Of the 37 gubernatorial races held in 2010, Republicans won 23.  All six Republican incumbents won; Republicans defeated Democratic incumbents in two of the seven other incumbent races. 

The goal of the recently introduced Main Street Fairness Act (H.R. 5660) is to establish fairness by treating similar sales transactions equally for purposes of sales and use tax. Opponents of the Bill, however, believe that if it becomes law, the result will be far from fair. The Bill authorizes “member states” of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement to impose a use tax collection obligation on remote sellers even though they have not established a physical presence. Those opposing the Bill contend that it will result in extremely burdensome and costly compliance requirements on small, online retailers.Continue Reading Fair or Unfair? Main Street Fairness Act Faces Opposition