Supporters of Internet sales tax battle headwinds

The longtime backers of a state Internet tax fix think they can overcome strong congressional currents in a year dominated by debates over how much the feds raise and spend. But a few key players remain lukewarm at best about the legislation — and the politics of the moment suggest the bill is barely keeping its head above water.

Even after multiple rewrites, it’s likely to be a tough battle for the Marketplace Fairness Act, a bipartisan proposal that could help states ensure they’re receiving their sales-tax dues when residents purchase products from out-of-state online retailers. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) isn’t supporting the measure in its current form, while the leader of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), is focused almost exclusively on the more intractable fights to come over the federal Tax Code.