Florida could avoid future painful budget cuts such as those currently being contemplated if there were a viable mechanism to collect taxes already owed. Representative Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, (D-Tallahassee), today filed the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax legislation (HB 329) anda letter to members of Congress and President-elect Barack Obama urging them to pass federal legislation that will enable states to collect internet sales tax they are due.

According to Florida TaxWatch, “Florida is losing anywhere from two to four billion dollars a year because we are not collecting the taxes currently due to the state,” says Rehwinkel Vasilinda.

Her proposed bill aligns Florida with other taxing districts and makes taxing of goods purchased over the internet feasible. She is calling on the Legislature’s Republican leadership to pass the bill when lawmakers meet in March.  “There is no doubt Florida is facing the most severe budget crisis in recent memory.  During this special session we will cut, borrow and raid trust funds. I believe that with adversity comes opportunity and we should look for ways that will help Florida out of this financial crisis - our constituents deserve as much. My legislation simply provides a mechanism to uphold current law and collect revenue due to the state,” says Rehwinkel Vasilinda.

In her letter to the 27 members of Congress from Florida, as well as President-elect Obama, Representative Rehwinkel Vasilinda urges Florida’s Congressional delegation not to be “bullied by bloggers seeking to distort the truth. The free flow of information and ideas across the World Wide Web must remain free and unencumbered by government regulation and taxation, but states that rely on sales and use taxes can no longer have their tax base eroded”.

“I strongly encourage Congress to quickly pass this legislation enabling states to collect internet sales taxes they are already owed. The Florida Legislature also has a responsibility to bring its tax structure in line with other states to avoid confusion over what is taxable and what is not,” says Rehwinkel Vasilinda. “Our constituents expect us to be fiscally responsible and solve problems. Collecting taxes due to the state allows us to be both fiscally responsible and problem solvers.”

internet sales tax letter to congress