House Pushes Through Internet Tax Ban Bill but Will Senate Agree?
Everyone loves the Internet and most people couldn’t live without it. There are a lot of great things about the Internet; with one of those things being that fact that there are no state and local taxes to use it. Over the years, they have been many arguments back and forth as to whether or not there should be taxes on Internet use, with most people siding against it, especially consumers.
In the latest effort to put a permanent stop to the talk of taxing the Internet, the U.S. House recently passed a bill that would put the possibility of Internet taxes to rest for good. That’s the good news. The bad news is the Senate is not expected to agree with the House and therefore the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (PITFA) is not expected to pass in the Senate and become law.
The original Internet Tax Freedom Act has been around since 1988 and it has already been renewed five times since its inception. However, the latest iteration is set to expire on October 1 of this year if it is not extended again. The burden could be huge for consumers, especially those from lower income households if it is not renewed. Even though most lawmakers from both parties are opposed to Internet taxes, the latest bill is not expected to pass because the Senate has tried combining the PITFA bill with other bills.
The Senate is concerned about the ability of states to charge sales tax between in-state and out-of-state retailers. As long as that continues to be an issue the PITFA will likely not pass by itself.
Depreciation and Section 179 Expense Updates
Depreciation and Section 179 Expense Updates 2007 Changes Increased section 179 limits. The maximum section 179 deduction you can elect for qualified section 179 property placed in service in 2007 has increased to $125,000 ($160,000 for qualified enterprise zone and qualified renewal community property). This limit is reduced by the amount by which the cost of…
Options to Avoid Foreclosure
Options to Avoid Foreclosure By Alan Olsen, CPA, MBA (tax) Managing Partner Greenstein Rogoff Olsen & Co. LLP The divide between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill appears to be spreading even wider after President Obama used his State of the Union Address to take dead aim at high net worth individuals. The president wants…
Sale of Residence – Real Estate Tax Tips
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Sale of Residence – Real Estate Tax Tips You may qualify to exclude from your income all or part of any gain from the sale of your main home. Your main home is the one in which you live most of the time. Ownership and Use Tests To claim the exclusion, you must meet…
Attracting Talent to Your Startup Organization
Attracting Talent to Your Startup Organization By Alan Olsen Building a successful startup company takes a lot of work and there are several important factors that play a role in whether or not a company makes it. One of the most important factors is having the right talent in. However, that is also one of…