An online sales tax makes sense these days

Highlands County commissioners want our legislative delegation to push for an Internet sales tax, among other things, in the upcoming session. That's a great idea, considering how so many important services are struggling due to a lack of revenue. Besides, it gives online businesses an unfair advantage over brick and mortar retailers here at home.

Congress passed up an opportunity to tax Internet sales several years ago, when online sales were much less. Not a lot was made of it back then. That's changing these days. This year, about $156 billion will be spent online by shoppers, and rarely are sales taxes charged. Only when the online retailers have a presence in a particular state is sales tax charged.

The University of Tennessee estimates that states are losing $20 billion a year in sales tax from online sales. Meanwhile, important services are cut in our counties due to a lack of tax revenue. Falling property values, increased homestead exemptions and other legislative mandates have cost local government across the state big money. Layoffs and reduced services just compound the problems.

We're guessing trying to get an online sales tax is going to take a long time to get passed. Big money special interests will fight it every step of the way, but that's no reason to walk away. We need constant effort on the state and national level to make this happen. If enough people get behind such a movement it could happen.

It's not fair for retailers who supply local jobs and who support their communities to have to compete with Internet retailers who don't have to charge sales tax to customers. These retailers pay local folks with money that circulates throughout the area. Benefits also increase the standard of living. But online retailers don't have to provide any of those things to particular communities.

We want a fair marketplace. As it stands, we don't have that.