TPA Joins Coalition Urging Support for Bipartisan Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance has been a strong supporter of free-market principles when it comes to the government’s repeated attempts to impose harmful and excessive amounts of Internet taxes that are paid by taxpayers, consumers, and businesses. This week, the bipartisan Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act was introduced in the Senate by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). This legislation would permanently extends the moratorium on Internet access taxes and prohibit multiple and discriminatory taxation of Internet commerce. It has been fifteen years since the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) was first enacted. The Internet has become one of the primary forces driving commerce in the global economy today. There is no way anyone could have conceived fifteen years ago the immense importance the Internet has on our everyday lives today, and TPA applauds this effort to ensure the spirit for which the ITFA was originally enacted. Last week, TPA signed on to a coalition letter urging support for the  Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act in the hopes that consumers can be protected from new taxes that would ultimately be imposed on Internet access by state and local governments searching for new sources of revenue to fund government.  Taxpayers and consumers shouldn’t be penalized with higher taxes for spending mistakes or lost revenue by state governments.

Read the letter below:

August 2, 2013

The Honorable Ron Wyden

Dirksen Senate Office Building, #221

Washington, DC  20510

The Honorable John Thune

Dirksen Senate Office Building, #511

Washington, DC  20510

Re: Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act of 2013

Dear Senator Wyden and Senator Thune,

The Internet Tax Freedom Act Coalition applauds your leadership in introducing the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act which permanently extends the moratorium on Internet access taxes and prohibits multiple and discriminatory taxation of Internet commerce.

When the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) was first enacted, the opportunity presented by the Internet was just beginning to show its promise.  However, during the fifteen years since ITFA first instituted a moratorium on the taxation of Internet access, the Internet has become the engine of our 21^st century global economy.  There has been tremendous innovation leading to increased business productivity, development of countless computer applications and enhanced access to education, employment and health care resources.  The importance of the Internet to numerous aspects of our everyday lives has expanded beyond anyone’s initial dreams.

The impact of the Internet is evident in the scope of its use to help displaced workers look for new job opportunities, to permit students to access online educational materials to complete their homework, to provide small businesses and entrepreneurs with access to new marketplaces throughout the nation and across the globe and to enable consumers to access information and entertainment anywhere and at any time.  The Internet provides consumers with access to health care monitoring services, government services, wireless AMBER alerts and 24/7 news coverage.

Broadband networks connect global markets and consumers without regard to state and national boundaries.  Passing the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act will protect consumers from new taxes that would inevitably be imposed on Internet access by state and local governments seeking new sources of revenue to fund government services.  It also ensures that consumers will not be subjected to discriminatory taxation of new innovative services or duplicative taxation by multiple states and localities claiming authority to tax the same transaction.

Introduction of this bill is a critical step to ensure that consumers continue to be protected from having their Internet access burdened by new state and local taxes and their purchases over the Internet burdened by multiple and discriminatory taxes.  Originally passed in 1998 and extended three times since with broad bipartisan support, ITFA encourages the flow of commerce and information over the Internet and improves our nation’s ability to compete in the global economy.

We commend you on your efforts to protect consumers by making ITFA permanent and look forward to working with you and other members of Congress to achieve this important goal through the enactment of the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act.

Sincerely,

Amazon
AT&T
CenturyLink
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Comcast
Cox Enterprises
CTIA – The Wireless Association 
Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
National Black Chamber of Commerce 
National Cable and Telecommunications Association 
National Taxpayers Union 
NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association 
Taxpayers Protection Alliance 
Time Warner Cable 
T-Mobile U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 
USTelecom
Verizon