Last week, more than 500 businesses and individuals participated in a rule-making hearing hosted by the Colorado Department of Revenue. In fact, so many people tried to log in to the virtual meeting, the system was overwhelmed, and many were locked out.

If you’re outraged that a rule is being implemented by un-elected bureaucrats and political appointees with limited public comment and without a hearing everyone can attend, just wait until you hear more.

The proposal sent shockwaves through the business community and will be a costly burden for consumers. At issue is a new fee and new regulations associated with SB 21-260, a bill passed by the State Legislature and signed by Gov. Jared Polis in 2021. The new fee, known as a Retail Delivery Fee (RDF), amounts to $0.27 per delivery.

When is enough, enough?

In 2021, the Common Sense Institute released a study which detailed the many tax and fee increases new to Colorado since 2018. The research found that, in total, individuals and businesses are expected to pay approximately $1.8 billion more in taxes and fees through the next few years as a result of recently passed policies. This number is continuing to grow.

If $0.27 per delivery isn’t enough of a shock, consider the new layer of paperwork, red tape, audits and penalties. It takes time and paperwork for businesses to comply with new regulations and this one is particularly onerous.

Several years ago, a thoughtful and concerned group of business leaders came together to launch the Simplify Colorado Sales Tax coalition when Colorado was ranked among the worst sales tax environments in the country. This non-partisan coalition of businesses, trade organizations and other interested taxpayers continues to promote legislation and rules that will create a simple, fair and predictable system. I’m proud to report we’ve made significant progress toward simplifying the sales tax and streamlining the process for businesses.

Despite our success in the last several years, we still face significant challenges. The RDF will make it worse and set us back at a time when we can least afford it. Coloradans are living with the highest inflation in 20 years, supply-chain problems, labor shortages and a whole host of new state regulations.

Enough is enough.

How do we fight back and maintain a climate where our economy can thrive, businesses can prosper and Colorado is affordable? Make your voice heard today. Call your legislator. Call the Department of Revenue. Tell them to STOP the proposed RDF rule.

Call today.

At a time when Coloradans’ primary concerns are affordability, inflation and the economy, leveraging costly new fees that make doing business more difficult is a bad idea.

Tony Gagliardi is the Colorado and Wyoming State Director for the National Federation of Independent Businesses