The Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act was introduced in the Senate late last week and if passed, will make the Internet tax moratorium permanent. As an organization that supports legislative efforts that create and enhance opportunities for Latinos to take advantage of, and benefit from, our nation’s advanced technologies, support for this Act is very important.
Latinos are an incredibly important and powerful consumer market. We are also avid users of broadband technology, and any discriminatory tax that is forced onto Hispanic consumers deters our communities from accessing the Internet and creates barriers to critical services. Latinos are increasingly using the Internet to find jobs, earn an education, and access critical healthcare services. Studies indicate that cost is a significant factor affecting consumer broadband adoption among Latino communities and by imposing a tax on internet access would only reduce consumer access and impact consumer adoption. We must protect this.
By supporting passage of the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act, we are safeguarding the future of the Internet and protecting consumers nationwide. In today’s growing digital society, we must keep the Internet fair. Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association believe that support for this legislation will avoid discriminatory taxation of broadband access and promote the ability of all Americans to participate in today’s global economy on a level playing field, which will only help to expand the reach of the Internet across the board – including our nation’s fast-growing Latino communities.
LISTA Supports Efforts to Protect All Consumers from Discriminatory Online Taxes
Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA) strongly supports the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act and Congressional efforts to prevent state and local governments from taxing consumer access to the Internet. This type of taxation will only prevent America’s largest and fastest growing minority population – Latinos – from taking full advantage of all the benefits that the Internet has to offer. It also stands to undue the tremendous progress that has been made in getting Latinos across the country digitally connected.
Protecting the future of the Internet and its users by minimizing taxation of this critical gateway and ensuring that the educational, healthcare and entrepreneurial opportunities that it offers remain available to all communities is what this Act accomplishes. With a diverse and growing Latino community that is accessing broadband technology at a rate higher than any other group, LISTA believes this Act is critical to ensuring that the Latino community is able to benefit and contribute to a growing online economy for the years to come.