The Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (HR-3086) and the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act (S-1431) need to pass Congress before the end of the current congressional session, said an Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) blog post (http://bit.ly/1fxCJ3B) Thursday.
The bills would make permanent the "ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes" for e-commerce, according to Congress.gov (http://1.usa.gov/1n2Zui5) (http://1.usa.gov/1ko9UCK).
S-1431, which was introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has 39 co-sponsors and has been referred to that committee, said the site. HR-3086, which was introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., has 191 co-sponsors and has been referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, said the site.
"If Congress refuses to act, Internet taxes will increase, reducing access to the Internet, disproportionately affecting those least able to bear the increased cost and marginally reducing the uptake and use of broadband," said the IPI post.
"Maybe the failure to act is because of legislative game playing, specifically laying the groundwork to marry a highly controversial, government-expanding sales tax idea to the legislation and then announce the package as a 'must pass,'" it said.