By JOHN DUNBAR, Associated Press Tuesday, October 30, 2007
WASHINGTON -- A bill to extend a moratorium on Internet access taxes for seven years was approved 402-0 by the House Tuesday, less than two days before it was set to expire.
The House initially approved a four-year ban, but last week the Senate passed a seven-year prohibition, despite considerable support for a permanent ban.
"Seven years is better than nothing, and that's what we're doing today," said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich, during remarks on the House floor.
A House bill that would make the moratorium permanent has 238 House co-sponsors, more than a majority.
The tax ban, first approved in 1998 and twice renewed, is set to expire Nov. 1.
Support for a permanent ban was strong in both the House and Senate, but concerns over the potential long-term impact on state and local governments forced a compromise.
The provision amounts to a moratorium on state and local taxes, said David Quam, director of federal relations with the National Governors Association. And with the Internet changing rapidly, the issue should be revisited periodically, he said.
"The implications could be pretty severe down the road if they got that wrong," he said. "It's actually a decent compromise that state and local governments and industry helped craft."
Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif. called the bill "bipartisan legislation at its best" and noted it was supported by businesses, state and local government organizations and labor unions.
In addition to lengthening the ban from four years to seven years, the legislation also contains a provision aimed at preventing state and local governments from assessing taxes beyond those levied on simple Internet access.
At the urging of Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the legislation specifically prohibits taxation on e-mail and instant messaging services "that are provided independently or not packaged with Internet access."
The extension also exempts some states that approved taxes prior to the original enactment.
Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., supported a permanent ban, but helped craft the seven-year compromise. "Seven years is better than we've ever done before," he told The Associated Press. "I think that's an important place to start."
The bill now goes to the White House for President Bush's signature.
I can't even believe that they haven't taxed the internet already! It will be a can of worms when they decide to. Who will be taxed? Just Americans? Or will the UN or the EU collect the global internet tax funds when they do pass the law? Which we know is coming down the pike eventually. There will be big bucks in tax revenue coming in then.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
They will tax it when the only way to "access the internet safely" is with our Federal National ID card.......at which point all our purchases/sales/immigration/working/health status' are safely kept......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Seems far out there senders but clearly a possibility of the future.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Amazon.com opposes Spitzer plan to collect Internet sales tax Tuesday, February 12, 2008 The Associated Press
Amazon.com is fighting Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to require out-of-state online companies to collect sales tax from shoppers in New York — the most recent money-strapped state to propose the tax. Spitzer’s proposed budget would require Internet giants like Amazon to collect tax on an estimated $47 million in sales to New Yorkers, who are currently required by an honor system to report how much they spend online on their tax returns. Amazon spokesman Paul Misener says the governor’s plan would be a radical departure from anything currently being done in the U.S. He says other states — including California, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas — have considered similar plans, but abandoned the idea.
Spitzer needs big buck to keep this beast called NYS afloat. And since they just can't quite figure out how to cut spending, he will tax anything or anybody he can.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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