FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAPE COD TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL APPLAUDS REPEAL OF SOFTWARE SERVICES TAX
The Cape Cod Technology Council, Inc. applauds the decision of the Massachusetts House and Senate, which was approved by Governor Deval Patrick on Friday, September 27, 2013, to repeal the sales and use tax on computer and software services. Technology Council President Paula Hersey stated “We would like to thank our state elected leaders for listening to our concerns, working with us to answer our questions, and ultimately repealing this tax. The Technology Council looks forward to being an active voice going forward and invites the legislative delegation to contact us at any time with questions on technology issues”.
The Technology Council, working through its Infrastructure Committee and Board of Directors, opposed the tax prior its passage on the grounds that it would be difficult to comply with the proposed tax because of its ambiguity and because imposition of the tax placed Massachusetts at a competitive disadvantage with other states which have no comparable tax. The Council noted that, although the tax was often described as a tax on the technology industry, it was a tax on every business that used technology services. After the tax was adopted in July, the Technology Council worked to educate the public regarding the tax and formed alliances with other business groups, including the SPARK Coalition (SPARKCoalition.org), to mobilize opposition to this impossible-to-implement tax.
The Cape Cod Technology Council is a professional business organization that facilitates technology entrepreneurship, promotes technology education for business, encourages technology curriculum at the secondary and higher education levels, and advocates digital inclusion for citizens in our region. Since its inception in 1996, the Cape Cod Technology Council has devoted considerable efforts to promoting Cape Cod as place where technology and technology-dependent businesses can flourish.
For further information, please contact Paula J. Hersey, Chair/President (508) 815-3446, paula@cctechcouncil.org, www.cctechcouncil.org