Senate Commerce Committee member Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., criticized...

Senate Commerce Committee member Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., criticized Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., for wanting to “hold the renewal” of the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act (ITFFA) (S-1431) “hostage in order to pass the onerous and grossly misnamed Marketplace Fairness Act [MFA] [HR-684],” in a Union Leader op-ed (http://1.usa.gov/WrHUcJ) Sunday. Ayotte is one of 51 ITFFA co-sponsors in the Senate (http://1.usa.gov/1jRXTeE). S-1431 calls for a permanent moratorium on Internet access taxes instead of a temporary extension; the MFA would allow states to tax remote sellers with more than $1 million in annual sales. The House passed its version of the Internet access tax moratorium, HR-3086, July 15 (CD July 16 p12). Senate Finance Committee member Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., introduced the Marketplace and Internet Tax Fairness Act (MITFA) (S-2609) July 15. S-2609 combines the MFA with the Internet Tax Freedom Act, which would extend the moratorium on Internet access taxes through Nov. 1, 2024. Durbin is a MITFA co-sponsor. Reid voted for the MFA when it passed the Senate last year (http://1.usa.gov/1gSbJqF). “Enactment of federal online sales tax legislation would have serious consequences for Internet businesses in New Hampshire and across the nation,” said Ayotte in the op-ed. “Passing legislation to extend the prohibition on new Internet access taxes should be approved immediately, and it should be made permanent,” she said. “Senator Durbin is committed to finding any way to pass the bipartisan” MFA “in both the House and Senate and MITFA is just one of the many options available to achieve that goal,” said a spokeswoman.