ANA Statement on Defeat of Proposed Nebraska Advertising Tax

Chris Oswald, the ANA's EVP, Head of Law, Ethics, and Government Relations issued the following statement after the Nebraska Legislature failed to pass LB 388 which included a tax on advertising services:

"We are pleased that the Nebraska legislature is ending its session without creating a new tax on digital advertising that would have caused significant harm to Nebraska's small businesses. Digital advertising is the lifeblood of small businesses, who need it to reach potential customers and grow their sales, and a new tax on digital advertising would have been the same as a new tax on those businesses. 

"There's a reason that 48 other states and the federal government have rejected these types of ad taxes in the past. They cost jobs, reduce economic growth, and raise costs for small businesses. In addition, this tax appears to be unconstitutional and would have likely been blocked by the courts before it was ever collected. We commend the Nebraska legislature for not proceeding with this ill-advised, costly, and unfair tax on digital advertising, so Nebraska's small businesses can continue to afford the advertising they need to grow and thrive."