July 14, 2014
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative,

On behalf of the more than one million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I urge you to support H.R. 3086, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act.

In 1998, the Internet Tax Freedom Act placed a moratorium on discriminatory taxes on the Internet and taxes on Internet access.  With wide bipartisan support, the Internet tax ban was extended in 2001, 2004, and 2008.  For 16 years, the ban on these inequitable taxes has benefited millions of Americans by enabling them to conduct transactions on the Internet free from worry about additional tax burdens.  With the current ban set to expire on November 1, 2014, it is now time to make this ban permanent.

One of the many problems with taxing the Internet is that when something becomes more costly, people will engage in less of it.  Today, nearly every business enterprise uses the Internet to communicate with customers and share information about its goods and services.  The Internet is also used by job seekers, as most employers now require prospective employees to fill in their job applications online; households with children who are increasingly required to perform schoolwork online; individuals who shop online; and, people who connect with friends electronically.

Protecting users of the Internet from onerous new taxes is critical to continued job creation, economic growth and social interaction.  With 228 cosponsors, H.R. 3086 has wide bipartisan support among your colleagues.  I urge you to vote in favor of this legislation in order to ensure that new taxes on the Internet are not imposed on November 2, 2014.  All votes pertaining to H.R. 3086 will be among those considered in CCAGW’s 2014 Congressional Ratings.

Sincerely,

Tom Schatz
President, CCAGW