SALT Blog - SALT Blawg

On October 2, 2017, South Dakota filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court, bringing the first facial challenge to Quill Corp. v. North Dakota in front of the Court.

As mentioned previously, during August the South Dakota Supreme Court held oral arguments wherein South Dakota urged the court to reject its petition, which would allow it to expeditiously file a petition for cert with the US Supreme Court.  The South Dakota Supreme Court abided and quickly affirmed a March 2017 trial court decision granting the remote seller's motion for summary judgment, holding that the economic nexus law (SB 106) was unconstitutional and directly violated the physical presence requirement of Quill. South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. S.D., No. 28160.

The "Kill Quill" movement was spurred in large part by comments made by a concurring Justice Kennedy in Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl, 135 S.Ct. 1124 (2015).  Justice Kennedy criticized Quill stating that:

"The Internet has caused far-reaching systemic and structural changes in the economy, and, indeed, in many other societal dimensions…Today buyers have almost instant access to most retailers via cellphones, tablets and laptops. As a result, a business may be present in a state in a meaningful way without that presence being physical in the traditional sense of the term.  Given these changes to technology and consumer sophistication, it is unwise to delay any longer a reconsideration of the Court's holding in Quill.  A case questionable even when decided, Quill now harms States to a degree far greater than could have been anticipated earlier.”

Justice Kennedy then invited a challenge to Quill, writing: “the legal system should find an appropriate case for this Court to reexamine Quill.”

Since Justice Kennedy's opinion, a number of state legislatures passed or considered passing legislation requiring remote vendors to collect sales tax - representing overt challenges to Quill. (e.g., Alabama and Tennessee).  South Dakota’s law is now the first to make it in front of the US Supreme Court for review.  This case will be closely watched by the SALT community to see if it is the "appropriate case" for the Court to revisit Quill.