Texas Wants To Start A New Tax

The state of "Tax-us" strikes again!

Two new bills are on their way to Governor Abbot's desk that will allow the state to collect taxes on purchases made online and from people and businesses without a physical store location.

The first bill, HB 2153, allows:

... for the Texas Comptroller to identify a single tax rate to apply to remote sellers and is expected to generate $300 million over the next two years. - El Paso Herald Post

The second bill, HB 1525, applies:

... the state sales tax to remote sellers who use online, third-party marketplaces such as Etsy, Ebay and Amazon, and is expected to yield more than half a billion dollars for the state. - El Paso Herald Post

While this means a LOT of money for the state, it also means your everyday purchases will cost more. The EP Herald-Post says both bills were "unanimously" backed by our representatives so, it's too late to let them know how you feel about this. Governor Abbott hasn't signed them yet though so, you can try contacting him!