AUGUSTA, ME – Thanks to the re-establishment of the Maine State lobby day and quick mobilization, NAMA and the PineTree Vending Association (PTVA) were successful in defeating a proposed increase in the state sales tax in Maine.
The measure, LD 1798: An Act to Amend Maine Tax Laws, contained a provision that would force operators to pay sales tax on their gross sales, rather than the wholesale cost of their products, increasing tax liability on operators and small businesses.
“We appreciate the Maine legislature for listening to our concerns about this proposal, and how it would have been a tax increase for vending operators in Maine,” said Mike Goscinski, NAMA Director of Federal Affairs and State Affairs.
The proposed changes were part of a larger bill to broadly amend the Maine tax code. Legislators moved quickly to pass the bill out of committee, giving very limited notice to the industry to weigh in. NAMA and PTVA quickly mobilized, reaching out to legislators on the negative impact of this tax increase on operators.
“NAMA would especially like to thank Niki and Ted Morton, of Casco Bay Vending and the Pine Tree Vending Association, and the many Blind Vendors in Maine who helped educate legislators on the harm this would have caused to the convenience services industry in the state,” added Goscinski.
Founded in 1936, NAMA is the association representing the $25 billion U.S. convenience services industry. With nearly 1,000-member companies – including many of the world’s most recognized brands – NAMA provides advocacy, education and research for its membership. Visit NAMA on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
