Tire chain fights Mass.
tax order

BOSTON - A tire store chain is going to court to fight an order by Massachusetts tax officials to charge Bay State residents
5 percent sales tax on purchases made in New Hampshire.

The Boston Globe reports Tuesday that the lawsuit could have wide-ranging implications for Massachusetts residents who shop in New Hampshire, which does not have a sales tax.

Connecticut-based Town Fair Tire Centers, which has shops in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, claims in its lawsuit before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that the state is violating the U.S. commerce clause.

The case is likely to be heard next month.

A victory by the state could mean millions of dollars in new tax revenue annually at a time Massachusetts faces a $1.1 billion budget deficit.