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U.S. Congress Poised To Vote On Internet Tax Ban

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the wallets-thankful dept.

jangobongo writes "'After more than a year of leaving the threat of new state- and city-levied taxes looming over Internet access providers and online merchants, Congress is poised to reimpose a moratorium on taxing Internet access,' according to eWeek. The House had approved a permanent moratorium while the Senate had approved a temporary ban. Members of the House are pushing to compromise and to vote today on the Senate's approach. President Bush is expected to sign the legislation when it is passed."

9 of 409 comments (clear)

  1. Excellent idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I hope the ban passes. Americans are badly overtaxed as it is. As more and more of the economy shifts to the Internet, keeping Washington's greedy mitts out of it will mean a defacto tax cut for everyone.

    (If you doubt that we are overtaxed, look at the money wasted on paying millionaires like Ted Kennedy a Congressional salary, no-bid Halliburton contracts, fish atlases, and pork barrel projects so multi-millionaire moguls don't have to pay to build their own stadiums).

    1. Re:Excellent idea by pclminion · · Score: 4, Insightful
      money wasted on paying millionaires like Ted Kennedy a Congressional salary

      So you're saying different Senators should be treated differently depending on who they are and how much money they have? Who gets to decide this complicated set of rules and exceptions? You?

    2. Re:Excellent idea by MorboNixon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Perhaps your argument isn't so much that we're overtaxed, but that the proceeds from taxes aren't being spent wisely?

      I agree with both points. I think we are overtaxed, but I think the far larger problem is that congress does not spend the money appropriately.

  2. RTFA by Greg01851 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Congress is poised to reimpose a moratorium on taxing Internet access" Internet Access... not all internet purchases... i.e. your bill from your ISP will be a bit lower, unless you use AOHell :)

  3. NO TAXATION! by sciguy125 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Personally, I don't think that they should be allowed to tax any communications. Actually, I take that back. They can tax it if they only use the money to pay for it.

    Taxing communications is like taxing air. We all need to communicate with others the same way we all need to breath. Why not just tax people on the streets for talking to each other?

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    1. Re:NO TAXATION! by derkaas · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Taxing communications is like taxing air. We all need to communicate with others the same way we all need to breath. Why not just tax people on the streets for talking to each other?

      I don't disagree with your sentiment, but your argument for untaxing communications could be extended to just about anything. For example, food and a place to sleep at night are just as essential, yet both, especially the latter, are taxed heavily by many governments.

  4. Ban on taxing access, not taxing purchases by MaineCoon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So many posts here seem to assume this article is about taxing purchases made over the internet. That is not the case. This is a ban on taxing ACCESS (i.e, a tax on your DSL/cable/dialup services).

    RTFA, people.

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  5. whoa there... by Cryptnotic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think he was inplying that Ted Kennedy is a worthless sack and his salary is a waste of everyone's money.

    I'm actually in favor of the idea that congressmen should be paid by the people of the state they represent. Who is it they represent anyway? Do they really represent the people of Massachusetts for example, if their paycheck comes from the United States Treasury?

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  6. Re:try england by Afrosheen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Canada seems a little different in that they can see their money going to good causes. Causes like a public health program, extremely clean cities, environmental controls, etc. Again, the main beef most of us Americans have is that we see ourselves being taxed more all the time but there's no tangible result. Quality of life just isn't improving, Social Security is still getting raped, the highways are no better, etc. Show me where that extra penny sales tax is going, in concrete form, and I won't complain if I feel it's a worthy improvement.