Ron Wyden: “as the Senate sponsor of the Internet tax freedom bill, I appreciate a chance to set the record straight about exactly…”

“as the Senate sponsor of the Internet tax freedom bill, I appreciate a chance to set the record straight about exactly what this law is. For example, it is continually cited that the Internet tax freedom law creates a kind of Cayman Islands for the Internet, where you can't collect taxes. That is not right. The only thing the Internet tax freedom law does is it bans discriminatory taxes. You can tax the Internet; you just must do to the offline world what you do to the online world. That is No. 1. No. 2, not a single jurisdiction in this country--not even one--has been able to show any evidence that they have been hurt by their inability to impose discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. We are constantly told by the mayors and Governors in some jurisdictions that they have been hurt. We have repeatedly asked for the evidence, and there has been none forthcoming. I have made it clear that I am very anxious to work with the mayors and Governors on this issue. I was not aware there was going to be an effort to extend the moratorium today for just a few months, because we have had these negotiations now for 18 months in an effort to try to bring the parties together. I want to make it clear that I am anxious to continue those negotiations. No. 3, there is absolutely nothing in current law that prohibits States and localities from collecting revenue that is owed to them. There is nothing in the Internet Tax Freedom Act that bars them from doing that.”