ITI PRAISES HOUSE EXTENSION OF INTERNET TAX MORATORIUM

11.08.2007

ITI PRAISES HOUSE EXTENSION OF INTERNET TAX MORATORIUM

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) President Rhett Dawson today praised the U.S. House of Representatives for passing an extension to the Internet tax moratorium, which is set to expire November 1, 2007.

“The Internet tax moratorium is vital to the innovation economy, and Congressional reauthorization is critical to help maintain America’s role as the world’s leader in technological advancement,” Dawson said. “Although ITI has advocated for a permanent extension of the Internet Tax, we support a shorter-term fix considering the current moratorium is set to expire.”

Dawson added, “This bill is critical to the development and deployment of innovative broadband technologies that will help Americans bridge the digital divide now and in the future. We will continue our efforts to secure a permanent moratorium on taxes on Internet usage and urge the Senate to pass the longer extension.”

“Since the Internet tax moratorium was established in 1998 to protect an emerging technology from burdensome and regressive taxes, the Internet has become the backbone for modern communication and commerce. The Internet tax moratorium has helped ensure Americans have access to services such as Internet-based medical treatment, distance education, and electronic commerce, which have improved millions of lives in less than a decade.”

ABOUT ITI

The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is a group of the nation's leading high-tech companies and is recognized as the tech industry's most effective lobbying organization in Washington.  ITI helps member companies achieve their policy objectives through building relationships with Members of Congress, Administration officials, and foreign governments; organizing industry-wide consensus on policy issues; and working to enact tech-friendly government policies.

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