Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl

814 F.3d 1129, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 3037, 2016 WL 692500
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 22, 2016
Docket12-1175
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 814 F.3d 1129 (Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl, 814 F.3d 1129, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 3037, 2016 WL 692500 (10th Cir. 2016).

Opinions

MATHESON, Circuit Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

When a neighborhood bookstore in Denver sells a book, it must collect sales tax from the buyer and remit that payment to the Colorado Department of Revenue (“Department”). When Barnes & Noble sells a book over the Internet to a Colorado buyer, it must collect sales tax from the buyer and remit. But when Amazon sells a book over the Internet to a Colorado buyer, it has no obligation to collect sales tax. This situation is largely the product of the Supreme Court’s decision in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, 504 U.S. 298, 112 [1132]*1132S.Ct. 1904, 119 L.Ed.2d 91 (1992), which held that, under the dormant Commerce Clause doctrine, a state may not require a retailer having no physical presence in that state — e.g., Amazon as opposed to Barnes & Noble — to collect and remit sales tax on the sales it makes there.

Faced with Quill, many states, including Colorado, rely on purchasers themselves to calculate and pay a use tax on their purchases from out-of-state retailers that do not collect sales tax. But few in Colorado or elsewhere pay the use tax despite their legal obligation to do so.1 With the explosive growth of e-commerce, the states’ inability to compel out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax has cost state and local governments significant revenue and disadvantaged in-state retailers, who must collect sales tax at the point of sale. Justice Kennedy recently said this “may well be a serious, continuing injustice faced by Colorado and many other States.” Direct Mktg. Ass’n v. Brohl (“Brohl II”), — U.S. -, 135 S.Ct. 1124, 1134, 191 L.Ed.2d 97 (2015) (Kennedy, J., concurring).

In 2010, Colorado attempted to address use tax non-compliance by enacting a law (“Colorado Law”) that imposes notice and reporting obligations on retailers that do not collect sales tax. Plaintiff-Appellee Direct Marketing Association (“DMA”) — a group of businesses and organizations that market products via catalogs, advertisements, broadcast media, and the Internet — has challenged this law as violating the dormant Commerce Clause.

DMA argues the Colorado Law unconstitutionally discriminates against and unduly burdens interstate commerce. The district court agreed with both arguments, granted summary judgment to DMA, and permanently enjoined the Department from enforcing the Colorado Law. See Direct Mktg. Ass’n v. Huber, No. 10-cv-01546-REB-CBS, 2012 WL 1079175, at *10-11 (D.Colo. Mar. 30, 2012). Defendant-Appellant Barbara Brohl, Executive Director of the Department, appeals.2

We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We reverse because the Colorado Law does not discriminate against nor does it unduly burden interstate commerce.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Factual History

Colorado has imposed a sales tax since 1935 and a use tax since 1937. The taxes are complementary. The sales tax is paid at the point of sale and the use tax is paid when property is stored, used, or consumed within Colorado but sales tax was not paid to a retailer. See Colo.Rev.Stat. §§ 39-26-104, -202, -204(1). In approving the sales-use tax system under the dormant Commerce Clause, the Supreme Court described it as follows:

The practical effect of a system thus conditioned is readily perceived. One of [1133]*1133its effects must be that retail sellers in Washington will be helped to compete upon terms of equality with retail dealers in other states who are exempt from a sales tax or any corresponding burden. Another effect, or at least another tendency, must be to avoid the likelihood of a drain upon the revenues of the state, buyers being no longer tempted to place their orders in other states in the effort to escape payment of the tax on local sales.

Henneford v. Silas Mason Co., 300 U.S. 577, 581, 57 S.Ct. 524, 81 L.Ed. 814 (1937).

The methods for collecting sales and use taxes vary. In-state retailers subject to sales tax collection are tasked with assorted requirements — for example, obtaining a license, calculating state and local taxes, accounting for exemptions, collecting the tax, filing a return, remitting the tax to the state, and keeping certain records. Instate retailers are also liable for any sales taxes they do not collect and may be subject to fines or criminal penalties for noncompliance.

Because Colorado cannot compel out-of-state retailers without a physical presence in the state to collect taxes, the state requires purchasers themselves to calculate and remit use taxes on their purchases from out-of-state retailers. The regimes differ greatly in effectiveness — compliance with the sales tax is extremely high, and compliance with the use tax is extremely low.

To assist the state in collecting use tax from in-state purchasers, most seemingly unaware of their tax responsibility,3 the Colorado legislature passed a law in 2010 that imposes three obligations on retailers that do not collect sales taxes — “non-collecting retailers”4: (1) to send a “transactional notice” to purchasers informing them that they may be subject to Colorado’s use tax, see Colo.Rev.Stat. § 39-21-112(3.5)(c)(I); 1 Colo.Code Regs. § 201-1:39-21-112.3.5(2);5 (2) to send Colorado purchasers who buy goods from the retailer totaling more than $500 an “annual purchase summary” with the dates, categories, and amounts of purchases, reminding them of their obligation to pay use taxes on those purchases, Colo.Rev.Stat. § 39-21 — 112(3.5)(d)(I); 1 Colo.Code Regs. § 201-1:39-21-112.3.5(3); and (3) to send the Department an annual “customer information report” listing their customers’ names, addresses, and total amounts spent, Colo.Rev.Stat. § 39-21-112(3.5)(d)(II); 1 Colo.Code Regs. § 201-1:39-21-112.3.5(4). DMA objected to these requirements and brought suit against the Executive Director of the Department.

B. Procedural History

DMA filed a facial challenge to the Colorado Law in federal district court in 2010. Among other claims,6 it contended that the Colorado Law violates the dormant Commerce Clause because it discriminates [1134]*1134against and unduly burdens interstate commerce.

On March 30, 2012, the district court granted summary judgment to DMA on both grounds. Huber, 2012 WL 1079175, at *10-11. The court permanently enjoined the Department from enforcing the Colorado Law. Id.

On August 20, 2013, this panel held, that the district court lacked jurisdiction to hear DMA’s challenge under the Tax Injunction Act (“TIA”). See Direct Mktg. Ass’n v. Brohl (“Brohl I”), 735 F.3d 904, 906 (10th Cir.2013); 28 U.S.C. § 1341. We remanded the case to the district court to dismiss DMA’s claims and dissolve the permanent injunction. Brohl I, 735 F.3d at 921. The Tenth Circuit rejected a request for en banc review. Direct Mktg. Ass’n v. Brohl, No. 12-1175 (10th Cir. Oct. 1, 2013) (unpublished).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
814 F.3d 1129, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 3037, 2016 WL 692500, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/direct-marketing-association-v-brohl-ca10-2016.