Industry Fights on Against Md. Digital Ad Tax at 4th Circuit

The 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals should reverse a district court decision supporting a state tax on digital ads, urged the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and two tech industry groups in a court brief Thursday. The Chamber, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association are appealing a July decision of the U.S. District Court for Maryland dismissing the litigation (see 2407050012). The case (docket 22-2275) concerns a Maryland law that imposes a tax on digital ads and bars companies from directly passing along the additional cost to purchasers of digital advertising through separate fees or surcharges. The matter went back and forth between the two courts previously (see 2407050012). "If the power to tax truly is the power to destroy," wrote the industry challengers, "then it is most pernicious when the State is allowed to hide that it is exercising the power in the first place.” The state tax will force businesses to raise prices, but Maryland included a pass-through ban to prohibit companies from disclosing to customers that a state tax is the reason, they said. "Appellants’ members wish to convey to their customers that prices are rising in Maryland because their elected representatives have enacted this tax, and not because digital advertising companies are seeking additional profit.” However, "evidently wishing to avoid political responsibility for rising prices attributable to their ill-conceived tax policy," state lawmakers imposed a "presumptively unlawful content-based speech ban.” Maryland’s response brief is due Jan. 10.