ATR commends President\’s decision to protect taxpayers for Internet access taxes.
WASHINGTON – Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) applauded President Bush for his continued support of the American taxpayers. President Bush made taxpayers, techies, and Internet users happy when he announced a plan to improve the business climate for broadband by 2007 by advocating for greater access and a moratorium of any access taxes. Because Internet taxes are complicated, unfair, and an immense burden on the economy Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), the nations leading taxpayer advocacy organization, strongly supports the efforts of President Bush to protect all Americans from taxes on Internet access.
"President Bush has reassured American taxpayers of his commitment to ensuring easily accessible and affordable technology for all Americans," said Grover Norquist , president of ATR. "Internet use in homes, libraries, schools, hotels, airports, and other hotspots will continue to be tax free thanks to the President\’s affirmation for limited regulation and mandates absent and free of taxes."
During his speech on Friday, President Bush made his position well known, "Congress must not tax access to broadband if we want to spread it around." Unfortunately, a few members of the Senate do not share the President\’s goals. In fact Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) has proposed S. 2084 in an attempt to grant new taxing powers to states that could run upward of $120 a year for each consumer\’s bill. These new taxes would take at least $1.5 billion from millions of DSL and wireless internet users.
"President Bush recognizes the need for Internet access to remain tax free to continue the Internet\’s success" said Norquist. "E nsuring that the Internet remains tax-free allows all Americans to continue to share in the wealth of opportunities that the World Wide Web has offered ."