Wyden Concerned About Bid to Add Online Sales Tax Language Into FY 2018 Omnibus

Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., raised concerns Thursday about what he views as Republican-backed efforts to attach the Marketplace Fairness Act (S-976) to the FY 2018 omnibus spending bill. S-976 and House companion Remote Transactions Parity Act (HR-2193) would allow states to collect sales taxes from companies even if they have no physical presence in the state (see 1704280036). The omnibus was also viewed as a potential vehicle for passing the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services (Ray Baum's) Act FCC reauthorization and spectrum legislative package (HR-4986), FAA authorization renewal and other priorities (see 1802270055, 1803010056 and 1803060046). “I'm extremely concerned to hear Congressional Republicans are plotting to sneak” S-976's language into the omnibus, Wyden said in a statement. “Apparently voting for a Republican representative in Congress is voting to allow New York and California to tax Oregonians, Pennsylvanians and Texans. If passed, this would create an underground, nationwide, privatized tax-collecting bureaucracy. This is particularly shocking as only two years have passed since” then-President Barack Obama signed the 2016 Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, which made permanent the Internet Tax Freedom Act (see 1602240069). Wyden was one of several lawmakers who filed an amicus brief last year urging the Supreme Court not to review the South Dakota v. Wayfair online sales tax case while Congress decides how to legislate on the issue (see 1712080050). The high court accepted the case with oral argument slated for April 17.