MISSOULA, Mont. — Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester, Congressman Greg Gianforte along with Montana Attorney General Tim Fox released statements slamming the Supreme Court decision on internet sales tax.
The office of Senator Steve Daines sent out the following release:
U.S. Senator Steve Daines today condemned the United States Supreme Court decision allowing states to implement an Internet sales tax on small businesses physically located outside of the state’s borders.
Today’s Supreme Court decision means unnecessary and complex burdens on small businesses, as well as a tax increase on consumers across the country,” said Daines. “We must act to protect small businesses in Montana and across the country from this overregulation.
The office of Senator Jon Tester sent out the following release:
U.S. Senator Jon Tester today slammed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to force Montana businesses to collect sales taxes on behalf of other states when their residents purchase our goods and services online.
Montanans don’t pay sales taxes and we shouldn’t be in the businesses of collecting sales taxes,” Tester said. “I will relentlessly defend Montanans and hold Washington accountable to pass a law to reverse this disastrous decision by the Supreme Court.
Tester has been leading the charge to protect Montanans from a nationwide online sales tax and earlier this year he introduced a resolution to prevent other states from forcing Montanans to collect sales taxes.
Tester was the only member of Montana’s Senate delegation to oppose the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was the deciding vote on today’s decision to force Montanans to collect and remit sales taxes to help shore up the finances of other states.
Montanans have overwhelmingly rejected a statewide sales tax on the ballot twice by more than a 2-1 margin in 1971 and 1993.
Montana Attorney General Tim Fox released the following statement:
Attorney General Tim Fox issued the following statement Thursday on the South Dakota v. Wayfair Supreme Court Decision:
Today, the Supreme Court upended decades of well-established legal precedent by allowing states to levy internet sales taxes on consumers and force small businesses across the country to collect those taxes. Not only is this decision bad for Montanans purchasing products online from other states, it’s also bad for Montana small business selling products online outside of Montana.
I fought to keep Montana sales tax free, and I’m disappointed with the Court’s decision.
In April, Attorney General Fox was one of only two state attorneys general to file an amicus brief with Supreme Court, opposing internet sales taxes.
Congressman Greg Gianforte released the following statement:
Today’s decision places an even greater burden on small businesses that are trying to grow, and increases taxes on Montana consumers. I’ll continue working on policies to keep more money in the pockets of hardworking Montanans and to encourage Montana small businesses to thrive and create jobs.