It’s not often you hear about the Chamber of Commerce supporting a tax, but that’s just what San Francisco’s local chapter did last week.

At issue is a an assembly bill from East Bay Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner that would require out-of-state online-only retailers to collect the same sales tax California businesses are required to collect.

Known as the E-Fairness Act, the legislation would hit online retailers such as Amazon.com, which some say has an unfair advantage against local brick-and-mortar businesses.

The Chamber’s board voted to support AB 153 on Thursday, according to spokeswoman Gwen Oldham.

“They felt the bill will help make sales tax collections more equitable and that the state should not favor one form of retail sales over another,” Oldham said.
 
bbegin@sfexaminer.com