RILA Goal for ’13: ’E-fairness’ Between Online and Bricks-and-Mortar Retailers

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) hopes to see “e-fairness” legislation passed in 2013.

The Arlington, Va.–based retail organization included e-fairness in its list of its top public-policy priorities for the year in its “Retail Industry Leaders Association 2013 Public Policy Agenda: Empowering Retailers and Consumers to Grow the Economy,” which was distributed to congressional offices.

RILA is taking aim at online retailers in states that exempt them from collecting sales taxes on items purchased online. “The laws governing sales-tax collection put Main Street retailers at a competitive disadvantage to their online-only competitors,” a RILA statement read.

In 2011, RILA and other industry organizations pressured online e-commerce giant Amazon.com to begin collecting sales tax for items purchased by California shoppers. According to the organization, “Because of public pressure brought to bear by RILA and its partners, Amazon.com will be required to collect sales tax in over 50 percent of the U.S. consumer market by the end of this year.”

Other 2013 priorities for RILA include passage of comprehensive tax reform, healthcare, labor regulations, consumer privacy, extended swipe-fee reform, flexible rules-of-origin for apparel within the Trans-Pacific Partnership Act, and expansion of the Information Technology Agreement, a World Trade Association agreement concerning information-technology products.

The complete list of RILA public-policy agenda can be found at www.rila.org/agenda.—Alison A. Nieder