Broad Coalition Calls for Veto of Maryland’s Digital Ad Tax Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2020

Broad Coalition Calls for Veto of Maryland’s Digital Ad Tax Legislation

WASHINGTON (April 2, 2020) – A wide-ranging group of companies and trade associations today called on Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to veto a controversial bill that includes a tax on digital advertising.

The group, which included the ANA, sent Hogan a letter arguing that the proposed tax is unprecedented, counterproductive, and places an unfair burden of all sales activities during a dramatic economic downturn and health pandemic.

The letter also said the bill, HB 732, violates the Federal Internet Tax Freedom Act, the Commerce Clause, Due Process Clause, Equal Protection Clause, and the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The group argued that the bill would generate expensive litigation rather than providing funding for educational activities in Maryland and will compound the severe economic problems facing the state and the U.S. due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The letter can be found here.

ABOUT THE ANA:

The mission of the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) is to drive growth for marketing professionals, brands and businesses, the industry, and humanity. The ANA serves the marketing needs of 20,000 brands by leveraging the 12-point ANA Growth Agenda, which has been endorsed by the Global CMO Growth Council. The ANA’s membership consists of U.S. and international companies, including client-side marketers, nonprofits, fundraisers, and marketing solutions providers (data science and technology companies, ad agencies, publishers, media companies, suppliers, and vendors). The ANA creates Marketing Growth Champions by serving, educating, and advocating for more than 50,000 industry members that collectively invest more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annually.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dan Jaffe
Group EVP, Government Relations, ANA
Phone: 646.369.4886
Email: djaffe@ana.net