Jewelers of America (JA) is calling on Congress to reintroduce and pass legislation that would close an Internet sales tax loophole hurting traditional jewelry businesses, the JA announced Friday. The JA has been trying to mobilize its membership and others in the trade to contact their Congressional representatives regarding the sales tax fairness legislation.

JA President and CEO Matthew A. Runci wrote a letter recently to Senator Michael B. Enzi (R-WY) and Representative William Delahunt (D-MA). The congressman sponsored a sales tax fairness bill in the 110th Congress. 

“Many of our members are family businesses that have weathered past recessions and downturns. Today, they need your help more than ever,” Runci wrote in his letter to Enzi and Delahunt. “Some have been in business for more than a century, providing a foundation for their communities and jobs and services that cannot be replaced. Today, they struggle to stay afloat in a climate where consumers still value their expertise, yet in order to avoid the extra costs of sales tax, they turn to online sellers when it comes time to make a purchase.”