Florida is considering raising revenue by imposing a tax on online sales in the state, with three bills to introduce a so-called e-tax being discussed in Tallahassee. Under current law, only companies that have a physical presence — such as a store or a warehouse — in the state must pay Florida’s 6 percent sales tax.
Carla Jimenez, who owns a bookstore in Tampa, told
The Miami Herald the law puts her at a disadvantage because it’s cheaper for customers to order online from out-of-state sellers, like Amazon.com.
“There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t have a potential customer come in and say ‘How much is that? Well, I can get it from Amazon for a cheaper price,’ ” she said. “They start every transaction with a price advantage.”
But people who do most of their shopping online would find that a new e-tax could cost them hundreds of dollars a year.
“You have two competing goals that are in direct conflict with one another, from a policy standpoint,” House Speaker Dean Cannon, a Republican from Winter Park, told the Herald.
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