FreedomWorks Slams Senate’s Vote to Pass the Internet Sales Tax

Washington, DC- The Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act, S. 743 on Monday evening, a piece of legislation that would force online stores to collect sales taxes on behalf of other states, regardless of the web company’s physical location.

FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe commented, “The Internet sales tax bill was passed in the name of ‘fairness for small business,’ but championed by Washington insiders, big box retail lobbyists and tax collectors. With friends like that for struggling entrepreneurs, who needs enemies?”

“No honest Senator can support the Marketplace Fairness Act and claim to stand for free markets at the same time. Every Senator who voted to pass the Internet sales tax bill–including Republicans- made a clear choice to support taxing without representation, picking winners and losers in the market at the expense of start-up businesses, violating basic consumer privacy, and slowing economic growth and recovery. Millions of principle-driven constituents will use this roll call vote as a rallying cry when primary season rolls around.”

FreedomWorks issued a Key Vote “NO” against the national Internet sales tax, denouncing it as taxation without representation, and an impossible burden of compliance on small businesses who sell their products online. FreedomWorks activists sent over 5175 messages directly to Senators, urging them to vote against the unconstitutional power grab.

FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe also signed onto a fiscal conservative coalition letter urging House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor to reject bringing the Senate-passed bill directly to the House floor.

FreedomWorks is a service center to a community of over 4 million grassroots activists nationwide who believe in individual liberty and constitutionally-limited government. For more information on FreedomWorks’ position on internet taxation, please visit www.FreedomWorks.org or contact Jackie Bodnar at JBodnar@FreedomWorks.org.