ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 8, 2021) – Marylanders For Tax Fairness, an independent coalition of Marylanders, businesses of all sizes, and pro-economic growth advocates, today released the following statement from spokesman Doug Mayer in response to legislation being filed to exempt certain industries and large corporations from the clear, negative consequences of the $250 million digital advertising tax:

“As the Senate President knows, there isn’t a law he can pass to prevent out-of-state companies from raising prices, which is exactly what will happen if we enact the digital ad tax. This is economics 101, and it leaves too many Marylanders paying the bill. This last-minute maneuver is nothing more than a stereotypical backroom deal designed to buy support, confuse voters, and provide a smokescreen to raise taxes on small businesses during a pandemic. It attempts to fix one bad idea with an even worse idea. We encourage the legislators pushing this fantasy to listen to the thousands of Marylanders pleading for them to change course.

“Exempting your friends and other big businesses from this tax isn’t good public policy and will be challenged in court before the ink is dry on the page. Fortunately, this ‘exemption’ legislation isn’t exempt from the laws of this country.

“This coalition of Marylanders and Maryland small businesses will continue to fight against this $250 million tax until it is defeated. Businesses of all sizes should be exempt from this tax, not just the big and influential.”

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Media Contact:
Doug Mayer
doug@marylandtaxfairness.org