Congresswoman Eshoo On: Keeping Internet Access Tax-Free

Submitted from the Office of Congresswoman Eshoo:

Dear Friend,

In an op-ed printed in the June 19th edition of the San Mateo Daily Journal entitled Keep Internet Access Tax Free, I wrote about how Congress is working to keep access to the Internet tax freepermanently. Since 1998, Internet access has remained tax free because a tax moratorium signed into law by President Clinton has consistently been renewed by Congress. The current tax moratorium is set to expire October 1st and if Congress doesnt act, approximately 10,000 state and local tax jurisdictions will be able to impose discriminatory taxes on consumers just to get online.

Mounting costs for a broadband connection have already created a digital divide in our country, and the necessity of the Internet in the everyday lives of millions of Americans has made it increasingly important to mitigate any further barriers to access. Establishing a permanent tax moratorium on Internet access is a step forward.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to read my op-ed for a comprehensive explanation of why this is such an important task for Congress. As always, I value your thoughts and concerns, so let me hear from you.

All my best,

Anna G. Eshoo
Member of Congress