October 2, 2012
NetChoice has published their Fall 2012 iAWFUL list, or Internet Advocates' Watchlist for Ugly Laws. Topping the list is the collection of Federal Internet Sales Tax bills which they say "would impose new tax burdens on online and catalog sellers while taking away states’ sovereign right to protect their businesses from out-of-state tax collectors."
Below is the complete iAWFUL list:
- Forcing New Tax Burdens on Remote Sellers – Federal bills would impose new tax burdens on online and catalog sellers while taking away states’ sovereign right to protect their businesses from out-of-state tax collectors.
- Misusing Consumer Protection Laws to Prevent Competition and Frustrate Consumers - Old and obsolete laws are being misused to squash competition, stifle innovation, and increase costs to consumers.
- States Creating New Online Taxing Powers – A state tax grab that makes it harder for the state’s small publishers and websites to earn advertising revenue.
- Curbing Online Service and Innovation for Children – Federal efforts to protect children online would create new regulations that stifle innovation and actually decrease the availability of child-directed services.
- What Happens to Your Online Accounts When You Die? – Some state laws allow an appointed executor to counter your express wishes about how your online accounts are handled when you die.
- Extending Hotel Taxes to Out-of-State Travel Agent Services – Cities and states are threatening travel agents and online travel sites with the wrong tax rate in the wrong jurisdiction – and asking consumers to pay for it.