Madaleno to pitch Internet sales tax for online companies

Plan could mean $7.5 million a year for state

by Marcus Moore | Staff Writer

A Montgomery County state senator plans to reintroduce a bill in the next legislative session to collect taxes from certain online companies, much to the dismay of some business advocates who say the plan won't solve the state's money woes.

Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington first introduced the legislation in the final days of the 2008 session, but the bill did not make it out of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee — a key panel in Annapolis.

Madaleno said last week that he will refile the bill, which would allow Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot to collect sales taxes from Maryland affiliates of Amazon and similar online retailers in the state.

The move could generate $7.5 million annually for the state and help plug a multimillion-dollar budget gap next year, Madaleno said.  Read The Rest of the Article