GILCHREST VOTES FOR BAN ON TAXING THE INTERNET

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest (R-Maryland-1st) voted in favor of legislation Tuesday that extends the ban on taxing the Internet for another 4 years.

H.R. 3678, called The Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments of 2007, passed by a vote of 405 to 2.

“This extension is important because it was due to expire on November 1st,” Gilchrest said. “But I’ve cosponsored legislation that would permanently prohibit taxing the Internet and I hope this Congress acts on that legislation.”

Gilchrest is a cosponsor of H.R. 743, which permanently bans Internet taxes and has 238 cosponsors in the House.

The legislation passed Tuesday extends the moratorium on certain state and local taxation of online services and electronic commerce until November 1, 2011.

Congress first banned Internet taxes in 1998. Over the last decade, Gilchrest has voted to make the Internet tax ban permanent, but those bills died in the Senate. Temporary bans have passed instead, the most recent passing in 2004.

“With an emerging industry like the Internet, Congress should be doing everything to encourage its growth, not tax it. Economic growth is the key to our strong economy, and this measure should help promote growth in one of our most promising fields,” Gilchrest said.