03/10/10

BOISE, Idaho (AP) _ The House's famously tax-leery Revenue and
Taxation Committee voted to at least consider joining a nationwide
push aimed at eventually collecting sales taxes on Internet or
catalog sales to bring in millions more in revenue.

Wednesday's vote was a close 10-8 to introduce the bill, which
would deepen Idaho's involvement in the Streamlined Sales Tax
Project.

There will now be a full committee hearing on the bill in coming
days.

A nearly identical measure for Idaho to join this push by more
than 20 other states trying to simplify their state tax laws to
make it easier to tax Internet sales passed 34-0 in the Senate last
week.

But the House Revenue and Taxation Committee jealously guards
its status as the panel where all tax legislation starts, so it
snubbed the Senate-passed bill and is instead considering its own.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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