The proposed permanent internet tax ban did not take pass Congress this week. While this may despite a number of folks, it was not unexpected.
What did pass was an extension of the moratorium that was set to expire Thursday. The House voted 402 to 0 to extend the ban for a period of seven years.
The moratorium bans taxes on internet access, prohibits double taxation of a product or service bought over the internet and forbids taxes that treat online purchases differently than other types of sales.
This marks the third extension of the Internet Tax Freedom Act, initially passed in 1998. Despite pressure from a number of consumer rights groups and telecommunications companies, the ban has never been made permanent – in part due to opposition from governors who look forward to someday collecting revenue in their respective states for internet sales and access.