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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois retail industry is one of Illinois'
3 chief creators of jobs, with more than 608,000 Illinoisans
4 working in retail trade, according to the U.S. Census Bureau;
5 and
 
6     WHEREAS, Sales taxes paid by retailers on purchases of
7 taxable goods and services in Illinois are a vital component of
8 the State's budget, with the Illinois Economic and Fiscal
9 Commission projecting Illinois State sales tax revenues of more
10 than $7.3 billion in FY04; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The Illinois retail industry and the sales taxes
12 it pays are under threat from some out-of-state retailers who
13 ship goods into Illinois without charging Illinois sales taxes
14 on goods meant for use in Illinois; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Many out-of-state retailers are facing up to their
16 responsibility to levy and forward sales taxes on goods meant
17 for use in Illinois; and
 
18     WHEREAS, FurnitureLand South of Jamestown, North Carolina,
19 which bills itself as "the world's largest home furnishings
20 showplace", has started collecting sales and use taxes on
21 products that it sells to consumers in 26 to 30 states; and
 
22     WHEREAS, Jason Harris, executive vice president of
23 FurnitureLand South, has told "Furniture Today," a trade
24 periodical, that FurnitureLand South eventually plans to
25 collect sales taxes for all 45 states with a sales tax; and
 
26     WHEREAS, Many other furniture retailers with substantial
27 sales across state lines do not yet collect Illinois sales and
28 use taxes for sales made to customers within Illinois, despite
29 Illinois laws requiring the payment of these taxes when an

 

 

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1 article is purchased for use within Illinois; therefore, be it
 
2     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, That
4 that we urge FurnitureLand South to charge and collect sales
5 taxes upon furniture sold to customers for use within Illinois;
6 and be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That we urge all other retailers, especially but
8 not limited to furniture retailers, to charge sales taxes upon
9 goods and taxable services intended for use within Illinois;
10 and be it further
 
11     RESOLVED, That we urge the Department of Revenue to take
12 additional steps to improve the collection of sales taxes upon
13 out-of-state goods intended for use within Illinois; and be it
14 further
 
15     RESOLVED, That we urge Governor Rod Blagojevich to allocate
16 sufficient funds and personnel resources, within the
17 Department of Revenue, to maximize State sales tax revenues,
18 provide for the cash flow that the State needs to perform its
19 vital duties, and maintain a level playing field between
20 out-of-state retailers and retailers that do business and
21 employ personnel within the State of Illinois; and be it
22 further
 
23     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
24 delivered to the Governor of the State of Illinois, the
25 Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue, and A. Darrell
26 Harris, President of FurnitureLand South, Inc. of Jamestown,
27 North Carolina.