MN Lawmakers Look At State Sales Tax for Online Purchases, Expensive Apparel
by Associated Press
January 16, 2013 12:57 PM
In a prelude to a bigger debate, Minnesota lawmakers have taken their opening looks at plans to apply the state sales tax to online purchases and expensive apparel.
A state Senate subcommittee on Wednesday reviewed a series of sales tax bills, including the one to make clothing sales above $200 taxable. No votes were taken, but lawmakers are just plunging into a debate over how to balance the budget and remake the tax code.
The clothing tax is the more controversial of the two. A Mall of America official says an apparel tax would hurt tourism because the current no-tax pitch is powerful.
Business groups with a major Capitol presence want the state to collect sales taxes on Internet purchases, saying it would erase a competitive disadvantage for brick-and-mortar stores.
