Sen. Joe Gruters, who doubles as chairman of the state Republican Party, said his proposal simply requires online businesses with no physical presence in Florida to collect sales taxes when customers in Florida make purchases.
Gruters’ bill will be considered during the legislative session that starts March 2, as lawmakers also grapple with major budget problems stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
Many online sales to Floridians are taxed if, for example, retailers have stores or other operations in the state.
But Gruters’ proposal uses a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case known as South Dakota v. Wayfair as a basis for trying to require other out-of-state businesses to collect and remit the taxes to Florida.
The decision against Wayfair, a large online retailer with no physical presence in South Dakota, overturned a “physical presence test,” expanding states’ abilities to collect sales taxes.