Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is taking a wait-and-see approach on whether legislation is needed to begin collecting online sales taxes after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Ricketts said Wednesday he still doesn’t think legislation is necessary, but urged patience in the wake of the ruling that allows states to require that remote sellers collect the tax.
He says he wants to see how other states address the matter as the ruling goes into effect.
Nebraska currently requires residents to report their online purchases for tax purposes when they file their income tax returns, but few people comply.
Nebraska loses an estimated $30 million to $40 million annually in state revenue from sales that aren’t reported.
It’s unclear whether the Nebraska Department of Revenue can collect the tax without legislative approval.