Border Tax War heats up

Mark Hayward reports in the Union Leader about a new law Governor John Lynch will sign today, putting up roadblocks on Massachusetts tax collectors going after shoppers in New Hampshire:

But a Massachusetts lawyer involved in the Town Fair Tire case questions how the law will be enforced, and whether Massachusetts officials will comply with it.

"It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in actual practice," said David Nagle, an attorney with the Boston firm of Sullivan & Worcester. He questioned what will happen when a multi-state retailer tries to follow the Granite State law while a Massachusetts auditor is handing him a summons that demands customer addresses.

"I'm certain that New Hampshire did not intend to put retailers in a bind between a rock and a hard place," he said. "The question, I think, is what leverage does this (new law) give a retailer who receives a summons from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts?" (more)