Efforts to apply sales taxes equally to both bricks-and-mortar and online retailers have made substantial progress since our last update, yet it is likely to be several more years before a level playing field becomes a reality. The Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot compel out-of-state companies, including internet and catalogue retailers, to collect state and local sales taxes. … Read More
Last month, Ed Trudeau, co-owner of the Vista Gas Station in Burlington, Wisconsin, drove an 8,500 gallon tanker truck to a competing Citgo Station for a fill-up. Although he managed to pump only 343 gallons before employees cut the flow, Trudeau made his point. The Citgo had been selling gas below cost, a violation of Wisconsin state law. … Read More
A judge is expected to rule within weeks on whether a lawsuit filed by four independent video stores against Blockbuster Video and seven Hollywood studios may be certified as a class action suit. The suit charges Blockbuster and the studios with attempting to fix prices, a violation of the Sherman Act and California state law. The suit was filed last year in a Texas federal court. … Read More
In September, California Governor Gray Davis vetoed a bill that would have clarified state law to require that all retailers with a physical presence in the state collect sales tax on internet transactions. … Read More
