On October 23, the United States House of Representatives voted with a massive 405 – 2 majority to extend the current ban on Internet taxes for the next four years. This is a small victory, as many from the tech industry lobbied to extend the ban indefinitely. First enacted by Congress in 1998, the Tax Freedom Act Amendments Act was set to expire on November 1, 2007.
Although the legislation passed through the House with flying colors, it stalled in the Senate. In order to extend the ban the act would need to pass the Senate and be signed by the President.
"Every day, broadband technology changes the way Americans live, from how they do business to how they learn and communicate to how they access medical treatment," claims Walter McCormick Jr., president and CEO of the United States Telecom Association. "An Internet access tax penalizes that way of life. In essence, we're talking about a tax on economic opportunity, on knowledge, and on finding one's voice in the democratic process."
For more information check out this article on PC World, or this editorial in the Washington Post.
