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.
Tax Forms & Publications
Tax Forms & Publications The publications listed below are located on the IRS web site and require Adobe Acrobat to view. Visit the Adobe Web Site to install the latest version of Acrobat Reader. Publication 1 Your Rights As a Taxpayer Publication 3 Armed Forces’ Tax Guide Publication 15 Circular E, Employer’s Tax Guide Publication…
Hall Of Laughter
Hall Of Laughter In memory of Steve Gardner 1958-2010 Thanks for the accounting humor and endless hours of laughter. We love you! Three Blind Mice Audit The IRS Agent uses a math joke in his audit of the three blind mice. Accounting Puppets 2 Puppets tell Accounting and Audit Jokes. Accounting Puppets Puppets tell Accounting…
The Roth Way to Riches
The Roth Way to Riches By Roy Lewis With all the recent tax-code changes, it seems a number of taxpayers have forgotten the Roth IRA. That’s a shame, because it’s far more than an ordinary retirement savings account. Roth IRAs are tax-favored accounts to which qualified taxpayers can make non-deductible, after-tax contributions. Those contributions can…
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) Medicare legislation enacted in December 2003 provides for a prescription drug benefit that won’t exist until 2006. But also part of the new law is a provision that went into effect on January 1, 2004—the creation of the Health Savings Account (HSA). By opening an HSA, you may be allowed to…