ASTA Advocates Against Removal of Sales Tax Exemptions for Advisors in Nebraska

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is advocating against proposed tax legislation in Nebraska that would remove sales tax exemptions for travel advisor services. 

First introduced during a special session in August 2024, LB169 returned to the legislative floor on April 11 and is currently being debated among Nebraska state senators. ASTA has responded by mobilizing Nebraska members, encouraging them to contact their representatives on the issue.  

Though an exact timeline for a vote is unclear, it could be decided before the legislative session ends on June 18, Laura Vogel, ASTA’s director of advocacy, told Travel Market Report. 

If passed, the tax law would require travel advisors’ clients to pay sales tax on their entire trip. This would make Nebraska travel advisors less competitive with advisors out of state, where clients could potentially pay less without a sales tax, Jessica Klement, ASTA’s vice president of advocacy, told TMR. 

ASTA has sent call-to-action emails to its Nebraska members and asked its host and consortia partners to send targeted emails to their agents, as well. Klement added that the issue should concern not only Nebraska advisors, but advisors nationwide. 

“Once one state moves in this general direction, it’s going to be a domino effect with other states,” she said. “If it is successful, we’re going to see it crop up in other states as well.” 

Recently, ASTA fought a similar bill in Louisiana that the state legislator eventually struck down.