Yesterday, the United States Senate passed the Conference Report to H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act. While the measure largely helps modernize the United States’ customs processes, the Conference Report contained an extremely important victory for American taxpayers – a permanent ban on Internet access taxes.
National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has long advocated for making permanent the temporary ban that Congress has put in place since 1998. The Internet has flourished in large part because it operates in a relatively light tax and regulatory environment. Yesterday’s bipartisan vote ensures that state and local governments cannot tax Internet access, which is instrumental in maintaining the Internet’s vitality.
Last month, NTU commissioned a poll that showed 83% of Americans support making permanent the Internet access tax ban. Taxpayer victories in Washington D.C. are rare these days, but the Conference Report to H.R. 644 was surely one.