WASHINGTON—At least four different tax proposals are either in Congress or about to be introduced that would reduce tax discrimination in the e-commerce, telecom and Internet space. While the bills may sound similar, they have very different intents and outcomes, and all could have a significant impact on consumers and businesses.
In an effort to provide a better understanding of these proposals and their effect on tax policy, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) and the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) are hosting the lunch briefing “Internet Tax Policy for Beginners (And Perhaps Experts, Too)”. The event brings together top industry and policy analysts to help untangle these important pieces of legislation and provide a betterunderstanding of how they will affect the tax system.
The panel discussion will be held Tuesday, March 19 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM in the Rayburn House Office Building, room 2325,on Capitol Hill.
“The Internet and telecommunications are both subject to a variety of taxes at different levels of government and there have been numerous calls over the years to streamline the process and increase tax fairness, which have led to the proposals now under consideration,” notes Robert Atkinson, President of ITIF and one of the co-organizers of the event. “Through this event, leading experts in the field will provide a deeper understanding of these potential reforms and the Internet tax system as a whole.”
“In this environment, where both state and federal governments are greedy for new sources of revenue, it’s critical that policymakers understand these proposals, as well as both their intended and possible unintended consequences,” adds Bartlett Cleland, Policy Counsel for IPI.
Participants include Brian Bieron, Senior Director of Federal Affairs at eBay, Inc. and Joe Crosby, principal at MultiStateAssociates who will examine the Main Street Fairness Act. In addition, Jot Carpenter, Vice President of Government Affairs at CTIA – The Wireless Association, will decode the Wireless Tax Fairness Act. The briefing will also feature Annabelle Canning of Capitol Tax Partners, on the Internet tax moratorium, Maggi Lazarus of the Law Office of John T. O’Rourke, on the Business Activity Tax (BAT), and NetChoice Executive Director SteveDelBianco, on taxing digital downloads.
For more information about the event visit IPI's website. http://www.ipi.org/events/detail/internet-tax-policy-for-beginners-and-perhaps-for-experts-too.
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The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) is a national independent, nonprofit, free market public policy organization based in Dallas, promoting public policy solutions to enhance freedom, innovation and growth. For more information visit www.IPI.org. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) is a non-partisan think tank whose mission is to formulate and promote public policies to advance technological innovation and productivity internationally, in Washington, and in the states. Recognizing the vital role of technology in ensuring prosperity, ITIF focuses on innovation, productivity, and digital economy issues. For more information visit www.ITIF.org.
March 15, 2013