New Christian Bookstore Parking Lot Warning Sign?
Editors note: In a previous post I wrote about the CBA, the Association for Christian Retail’s public stance on sales tax. You can view my post here. Their view runs counter to the U.S. Constitution, recent Supreme Court decisions and current law. The CBA has now posted an FAQ on their site, which I have reproduced and commented on below.
In the FAQ, the CBA attempts to rationalize sales tax for their competition, but not for themselves. Christian book writers and readers should tell their local Christian bookstore owner or manager that you think the unconstitutional stand of the CBA is misguided, and that it will mean more taxes and higher taxes for all.
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Robert Vandervort, who operates a Christian bookstore in Allentown, Michigan, summed up the the financial situation that many local Christian bookstores face. He told Karen Dubis of the Detroit News, “This is a challenging time for Christian stores. Sam’s Club (a Wal-Mart division) carries some Bibles we carry, but they can sell them cheaper than we can buy them from our suppliers.”
CBA, the Association for Christian Retail, is supporting proposed federal legislation that would require Internet-only businesses to collect and remit sales or use taxes to the states where purchasers reside. Currently, sales tax is only payable when buyer and seller reside in the same state.
Grand Rapids, Mich.– Zondervan, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and the world’s leading Bible publisher, reported its NIV Bible eBook, is the company’s fastest-selling eBook. It broke into the USA Today bestsellers list spanning all books, the company said in a news release.
Professional attendance at the 2010 International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis was 1,593, or flat, as compared to 1,605 in professional attendance in 2009, according to audited numbers reported by CBA (formerly the Christian Booksellers Association).
