Supreme Court Defers On Retail Fairness, Congress Must Act

House of Representatives action required to level playing field for all retailers

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Council of Shopping Centers is calling for Congressional action on retail fairness today after the Supreme Court announced it would not rule on the issue. With the nation's highest court declining to take up the case, it is now up to the U.S. House of Representatives to close the online sales tax loophole once and for all. The U.S. Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act earlier this year to resolve this outstanding issue, reflecting overwhelming support that led to a bipartisan 69-27 vote to approve the legislation. House Members continue to receive urgent calls from constituents to take action before the end of the 2013 holiday shopping season.

"The Supreme Court's decision not to take up the case once again underscores the need for Congress, in this case [Chairman] Bob Goodlatte, to act on this issue. We look forward to working with him and other supporters on the Committee to get this done," said ICSC Senior Vice President of Global Public Policy Betsy Laird. "Our members find themselves in the midst of yet another holiday season contending with an obsolete sales tax collection policy. Inaction by Congress hurts retailers, communities and ultimately consumers," added Laird.

About ICSC
Founded in 1957, ICSC is the premier global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its more than 60,000 members in over 90 countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, retailers and brokers, as well as academics and public officials. As the global industry trade association, ICSC links with more than 25 national and regional shopping center councils throughout the world. For more information, visit www.icsc.org.

SOURCE International Council of Shopping Centers