A legislative study committee
has recommended that lawmakers oppose taxing computer software that’s accessed
over the Internet. The committee, which included
members of the business community, debated whether a cloud computing tax will
hurt innovative companies or cost the state much-needed revenues.
Gov. Peter Shumlin says he
will sign legislation that imposes the state sales tax on cloud computing
software beginning in the summer of 2013, but he says he will try to persuade
lawmakers next year to drop this tax before it goes into effect.
If the plan were approved, the state would refund taxes paid
over the past several years to businesses that have been paying the so-called
cloud tax on software sold remotely since it went into effect in 2006.
Lawmakers
are weighing in on the debate about whether Vermont should continue to charge a sales tax on products sold
remotely via the Internet, or the cloud. Some
lawmakers say that if the state drops that tax, it could stand to lose much-needed
future revenue.