Dear Senators,
On behalf of the undersigned, we encourage you to pass a clean permanent extension of the Internet Tax Moratorium, and commend the House of Representatives on passage of H.R. 3086, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (PITFA).
Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) have introduced S. 1432, the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act (ITFFA), which mirrors the House language. Both ITFFA and PITFA reauthorize and make permanent legislation that has been U.S. national policy since 1998. The clean Internet access tax moratorium overwhelmingly passed the House, and similarly a clean ITFFA will easily pass the Senate, and again protect unfettered access to Internet connections.
Americans would be overjoyed to see Congress agree, and pass, legislation that protects consumers from increased costs when accessing and using the Internet, and protects them from discriminatory or duplicative taxation of Internet commerce.
Taxes on communications services are already punitive and discriminatory. The average sales tax rate on voice services is 17 percent, and 12 percent on video services, while the average general sales tax rate is 7 percent. A clean ITFFA would at the very least prevent this targeted tax on Internet access.
Excessive taxes will hinder continued growth in the digital space. The FCC’s National Broadband Plan states that the largest barrier to consumer adoption and expanded use of Internet based services is cost. Allowing the Internet access tax moratorium to lapse would certainly lead to higher tax rates on consumers and thus reduce the rate of adoption and innovation. The Internet is our greatest gateway to innovation and education, higher taxes on Internet access undermines American economic competiveness and growth.
We encourage the Senate to act now to permanently extend the Moratorium on Internet Access Taxes.
Sincerely,
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-1qa85jh’]Grover Norquist
Americans for Tax Reform [/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-1ozazct’]Chuck Muth
President
Citizen Outreach
Mt. Reagan, Nevada[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-1mbbwn1′]Katie Mcauliffe
Digital Liberty[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-1lu8zal’]Eunie Smith
President
Eagle Forum of Alabama[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-1jp4pb1′]Phil Kerpen
President
American Commitment[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-1i8wk4d’]Christopher P. Finney, Esq
FINNEY LAW FIRM, LLC
Cincinnati, Ohio[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-1fp9399′]Steve Pociask
President
American Consumer Institute
Center for Citizen Research[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-1eysdf1′]Richard Watson
Co-Chair
Florida Center-Right Coalition[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-1cp39sd’]Morgan Reed
Executive Director
ACT | The App Association[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-1b9r2al’]Stephen P. Gordon
President
Forward Focus Media, LLC
Atlanta, Georgia[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-191zmdp’]Brian Garst
Director of Government Affairs
Center for Freedom and Prosperity [/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-17rst9p’] Louie Hunter
Director
Georgia Center Right Coalition[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-16hqxml’]Timothy Lee
Senior Vice President of Legal and Public Affairs
Center for Individual Freedoms[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-14387zx’]Malia Hill
Policy Director
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii [/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-1358l2l’]Clyde Wayne Crews
Vice President for Policy
Competitive Enterprise[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-110giwd’]Marty Connors
M. J. Connors Consulting
Government Relations
Birmingham, Alabama[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-za70gd’]Ryan Radia
Associate Director of Technology Studies
Competitive Enterprise[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-xwnqx9′]Darcie L. Johnston
President
Johnston Consulting, Inc.
Montpelier, Vermont[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-wrsc8t’]Thomas A. Schatz
President
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-u33jlp’]Jack Boyle
Co-Founder & President
Put Growth First
Ohio[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-snw1v1′]Wayne Brough
Chief Economist and Vice President of Research
Freedom Works[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-2rgnxp’]Charlie Gerow
CEO
Quantum Communications
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-p6sg8d’]George Landrith
President
Frontiers of Freedom[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-obnp0d’]William Estrada
Director of Federal Relations
Home School Legal Defense Association[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-n2d90t’]Mike Stenhouse
CEO
Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-kdjiwt’]Andrew Langer
President
Institute for Liberty[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-irs1st’]Seton Motley
President
Less Government[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-1ogk3h’]Bartlett Cleland
Managing Director
MaderyBridge[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-g702lp’]Mike Wendy
Director
MediaFreedom[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-1ckykt’]Brandon Arnold
Executive Vice President
National Taxpayers Union[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-cr5wrx’]Steve DelBianco
Executive Director
NetChoice[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-a7axul’]Scott Cleland
Chairman
NetCompetition
Founder & President, Precursor, LLC[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-97qi65′]Lorenzo Montanari
Executive Director
Property Rights Alliance[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-725xrh’]Andrew Moylan
Executive Director and Senior Fellow
R Street Institute[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-5dx325′]David Williams
President
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Campaign for Liberty[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third av_uid=’av-efyr1′]Jason Pye
Editor
United Liberty[/av_one_third]
[av_one_third first av_uid=’av-2n04m5′]Lisa B. Nelson
CEO
American Legislative Exchange Council[/av_one_third]