Wal-Mart Pushes Web Sales Tax as Washington Clout Grows

In its struggle against surging online retailers such as Amazon.com, Wal-Mart has unleashed a weapon long shunned by Sam Walton: lobbying. On July 24, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on a bill to let states collect sales tax from out-of-state merchants that sell to their residents. If passed, online retailers, which now mostly don't collect sales tax, will lose a price advantage that's helped them take business from brick-and-mortar stores.