Republicans signal demise of Internet sales tax bill

Bricks-and-mortar retailers have become the first US business group to be disappointed by Republicans since their midterm election gains, as party leaders indicated that a bill to end tax-free internet shopping was doomed.

Retailers such as Walmart, Target and Best Buy have long railed against a perceived loophole that they say gives ecommerce rivals an unfair advantage by enabling many online shoppers to avoid sales tax. But a spokesperson for House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said a bill to tax online shopping -- which passed in the Senate in 2013 -- would not move forward in the final weeks of the current Congress, the lame duck session.