January 11, 2008

IN THIS ISSUE:

BANKS AND BANKING COMMITTEE MEETING ON FILE FREEZE BILL
GRA ENCOURAGES ADDING INVENTORY TAX TO HR 900
GRA PICKS UP AN UNLIKELY ALLY IN STRAMLINED SALES TAX EFFORT
HR 900 TAKES A TURN FOR THE WORSE
CREDIT-CARD ALTERNATIVES FIND MORE ONLINE ACCEPTANCE

"It is not the function of the government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error." Justice Robert H. Jackson

Banks and Banking Committee Meeting on File Freeze Bill

The House Banks and Banking Committee Meeting will consider the HB 130, File Freeze Bill, on Monday, January 14, from 1:00 to 3:00PM. It is expected to vote the Georgia Security Freeze Legislation, sponsored by Representative Calvin Hill, (R) District 21, out of committee. GRA has worked on refining this bill over the last two years and finally has a version that retailers can live with.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb130.htm

Legislative Session Begins Early For GRA

While the second session of the 2007-2008 term of the Georgia General Assembly doesn’t begin until Monday, January 14, 2008, GRA has been at the Capitol most of this past week monitoring the progress of HR 900, “The Great Plan For Georgia.” GRA provided testimony requesting that earlier language, that included the abolishment of the ad Valorem inventory tax, be reinstated.

GRA Picks Up An Unlikely Ally In Streamlined Sales Tax Effort

On January 9, 2009 Rome, Georgia Mayor Pro Tem Buss Wachsteter, representing the Georgia Municipal Association asked the House Ways and Means Committee to support the enabling language for the streamlined sales tax. The streamlined sales tax legislation, which is pending before Congress, would allow states to collect sales taxes on internet and catalog sales from companies having no nexus in a state. GRA is hopeful that this added ally will result in the adoption of the conforming legislation needed to bring Georgia into compliance.

The state loses $1.2 billion in revenue by not collecting sales taxes from sales made to Georgians from out-of-state companies. This hurts every GRA member that has a brick and mortar operation in the state, by giving other s an immediate 4 to 9 percent price advantage.

HR 900 TAKES A TURN FOR THE WORSE

HR 900, “The Great Plan for Georgia,” sponsored by Speaker Glenn Richardson, (R) 19th District, Majority Leader Jerry Keen, (R) 179th District, Speaker Pro tempore Mark Burkhalter (R)50th District, Representative Larry O’Neal, (R) 146th District and Majority Whip Barry Fleming, (R) 117th District would ease property taxes on homesteads and private motor vehicles. However, it leaves the window wide open for increasing property tax on non-homestead property.
(Please note the version on the General Assembly Website is not the current version.)

Credit-card Alternatives Find More Online Acceptance

The percentage of major online retailers accepting alternative payment methods, including Bill-Me-Later, PayPal and Google Checkout, rose from 24% in February 2007 to 30% in December 2007, according to a new study. More than 75% of the online retailers surveyed also accepted private-label gift cards.

Thank you.
 
 
John C. Heavener, MSM, CAE
President
johnh@georgiaretail.org
Telephone – 770-484-3449, ext. 21
Fax – 770-484-5727
 
Georgia Retail Association
 
About GRA: The Georgia Retail Association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, and grocery stores has been serving the state’s business community since 1961. The Georgia Retail Association represents an industry with more than 71,300 retail establishments, and more than 715,000 employees - about one in five of Georgia’s workers - and 2004 sales of $115.2 billion.

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