NFIB State Director Leah Long today urged the Mississippi House to pass H.879, the Retailer Tax Fairness Act, a bill that would provide much-needed relief to small businesses struggling with rising credit and debit card processing fees.

If passed, the measure would create a tax credit to help offset these fees.

“Mississippi’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but they’re being squeezed by ever-increasing costs,” Long said. “Interchange fees—the charges businesses pay to process credit and debit card transactions—are unavoidable for businesses that accept card payments.

“The Retailer Tax Fairness Act would help these businesses stay competitive, grow, and create jobs.”

While large retailers can negotiate lower fees, small businesses have little choice but to absorb these costs or pass the additional cost on to their customers, Long said.

“If we want to keep Mississippi’s economy strong, we must ensure small businesses aren’t unfairly burdened by rising costs,” Long said. “The Retailer Tax Fairness Act is commonsense legislation that would relieve some of the pressure on our Main Street businesses.”