Get Involved
Centralized Sales Tax Hits Familiar Roadblock
On Monday, the House Ways & Means Committee shelved yet another attempt to fix Louisiana’s broken sales tax collection system. Despite clear agreement among lawmakers and business leaders that reform is overdue, Rep. Josh Carlson (R-Lafayette) ultimately deferred his HB 620—halting momentum on an issue that has lingered for far too long.
In a state working to grow jobs and investment, the question I have for you this morning is, how long are we going to make it unnecessarily difficult for businesses to succeed here,” Rep. Carlson posed to the Committee.
HB 620 would have delivered meaningful relief to businesses, particularly small businesses burdened by one of the most fragmented and inefficient sales tax systems in the country. Instead, entrenched local interests—who benefit from the current patchwork at the expense of taxpayers—once again protected the status quo. As a result, Louisiana remains the only state in the nation without a centralized sales tax collection system.
>>> WATCH: LABI’s Jim Patterson Testifies in Support of HB 620 <<<
>>> WATCH: Tax Foundation Testifies in Support of HB 620 <<<
>>> WATCH: Council on State Taxation testifies in Support of HB 620 <<<
Rep. Carlson indicated he will pursue a study resolution to examine the path forward, calling on local entities to engage in good-faith discussions. His message was clear: continued resistance is not a strategy for progress.
While the bill’s deferral is a setback, it also underscores a growing and undeniable consensus—reform is necessary, and the pressure to act is building.