Shop.org, in one of its first efforts at advocacy and public policy, has asked members of the U.S. Senate to support a permanent extension of the ban against multiple and discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee considered a permanent Internet tax moratorium in an Executive Session Thursday.

“Permanently extending the Internet tax moratorium will broaden the reach of technology and help eliminate what remains of the “digital divide,” said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org, in a letter sent to members of the committee. “The moratorium helps to ensure that all Americans have affordable access to the Internet and can connect with those businesses that can best serve their needs.”

According to The State of Retailing Online 2007, online sales this year are expected to rise 18 percent to $259.1 billion.

Shop.org, the digital division of the National Retail Federation, announced in August, that it broadened its mission to include advocacy and public policy.

Shop.org is the network for retailers online. Its 600 members include the 10 largest retailers in the U.S. and 70 percent of the Internet Retailer Top 100 E-Retailers. It is primarily an organization that provides insight, knowledge, and intelligence so that its members can make more informed decisions in the evolving world of the Internet and multichannel retailing. Founded in 1996, Shop.org became a division of NRF in January 2001.

JCK