(Tony's Note: the moratorium on Internet Taxation is set to expire on November 1, 2003, unless a new law is passed by Congress)

National Taxpayers Union

ALEXANDRIA, Va., U.S. Newswire/ -- Hot on the heels of Senator Mark Dayton's (D-MN) suggestion to institute a tax on emails, the 350,000 member National Taxpayers Union denounced the concept. Senator Dayton suggested the idea at a hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

"The widely circulated email hoax of recent years should remain just that, a hoax," NTU President John Berthoud stated. "Senator Dayton's idea of a tax on email messages is yet another example of the ceaseless desire by some Members of Congress to get into Americans' wallets."

Berthoud observed, "Senator Dayton suggested that this would be a way to curtail spam. That's a ridiculous idea. Currently, there are numerous options available to eliminate or greatly reduce unwanted email messages. Using filters, junk mail folders, or email address blockers offer relief and most importantly, such alternatives can be done easily and do not impose a tax on the American people."

Besides the Dayton proposal, other Internet tax schemes loom on the horizon. The Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP), a multi-state authority established to add a sales tax onto Internet transactions, has gained momentum in many areas of the
country. "The Internet has opened many doors for advancement, unfortunately, some officials see the Internet simply as a new means to fatten government coffers," Berthoud cautioned.

"Rather than discussing another way for government officials to use the Internet as a cash cow, Members of Congress should explore serious solutions to the quantity of unsolicited messages and stop milking the American people for every dime they can," Berthoud concluded.