OKC Retailers in D.C. to Push Internet Sales Tax Bill

• Joe Wertz
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  Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Oklahoma lawmakers and business leaders were the first to enter the fray, and now local retailers are taking their turn at the nation’s capital to push for a bill that would force online retailers to collect sales taxes.

From The Oklahoman’s Chris Casteel:

They sell bicycles and cameras in Oklahoma City, along with tea sets, cloth diapers and vacuum cleaners.

And they came to Washington on Thursday to ask Oklahoma lawmakers to help them compete more fairly with the out-of-state retailers who can sell those same items online without charging state and local sales tax.

The OKC retailers met with four members of the state’s congressional delegation to voice concerns that the lack of sales tax collection among Internet retailers puts brick-and-mortar stories like theirs at a competitive disadvantage.

Sonya Epperson of Epperson Photo-Video told The Oklahoman that the conversation wasn’t encouraging.

Epperson said most of the lawmakers were friendly and knowledgeable about the issue but that Lankford wasn’t optimistic Congress would move quickly on legislation that would allow states to compel online retailers with annual sales over $500,000 to collect sales taxes.