FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 24, 2001
CONTACT: Josh Dazey, (425) 455-3764

NoInternetTax.org Launches Campaign Against
Taxation and Regulation of the Internet

Organization seeks the permanence of Internet moratorium

(BELLEVUE,Wash.) Alan Gottlieb, founder and president of NoInternetTax.org, announced today an effort by the Washington-based organization to make permanent the current moratorium on Internet taxation. The current moratorium, forbidding the imposition of discretionary taxes on the Internet, will expire on October 21, 2001.

“The benefits we have seen from the Internet so far have come about largely because it has been allowed to develop relatively free from governmental interference and regulation, especially from taxes,” stated Gottlieb. “Protecting the last truly free market in our society is essential to continuing the growth of our economy. In order to do so, we must make permanent the moratorium on the Internet.”

NoInternetTax.org firmly believes that the Internet is an institution worthy of defense, for the truly revolutionary impact it has had on all of our lives, creating jobs, economic growth, prosperity and new opportunities for all Americans. In the last five years, the technology sector was responsible for one-third of our country’s economic growth. America is now home to 80 of the 100 most influential technology companies in the world.

As part of the new campaign, Gottlieb has named Jennifer Holder as their new Executive Vice-President. A grassroots political activist, Ms. Holder has managed campaigns from the local to national level.

“Despite the current moratorium, most people falsely believe that the Internet is a tax-free shopping oasis. Taxes already apply to e-commerce, the same as they apply to catalogue and mail order sales.” said Holder. “Minor changes in regulation or volume on the Internet have far-reaching effects that we cannot accurately predict. Consider our current dot.com demise. Why would we tamper with this fragile sector even more?”

As part of the campaign, NoInternetTax.org has re-launched their Web site, updating it from their last effort, which successfully lobbied the 19 members of the Congressional Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce, headed by Governor James Gilmore, to recommend an extension of the current moratorium.

New efforts by the group will include a public education campaign, an outreach to e-commerce leaders, and a Web-based grassroots effort aimed to motivate citizens to write not only their Congressional representatives, but their state leaders as well.

While the Senate has stalled congressional progress on the question of the moratorium, a number of states have floated proposals that call for the creation of a ‘tax cartel’ among other schemes to collect taxes. President Bush has stated his support for the moratorium.

“Should Internet taxation initiatives on the state and local levels be successful, an e-commerce entrepreneur faces myriad tax rules, regulations and rate structures from 7,600 taxing authorities to interpret and manage across America,” concluded Holder.


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About NoInternetTax.org:
Based in Bellevue, Wash., NoInternetTax.org is a non-partisan education and advocacy organization. The mission of the organization is to protect the Internet on the state, national and international level from burdensome regulation and taxation. For more information, please visit our Web site at: www.NoInternetTax.org.