Has Internet Access Taxation Affected Internet Use?

Most arguments in favor of the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) assume that taxing Internet access would reduce Internet use. The authors investigate this possibility empirically, making use of panel data covering all U.S. states for the years 1998, 2000, and 2001. Statutory variation in the taxation of Internet access occurs because 10 states were permitted to continue their existing Internet access taxes as of the initial passage of the ITFA in 1998. None of the econometric analyses provides any evidence that Internet access taxes have had an effect on Internet access rates.