Byron Dorgan

Current tax laws require that all purchases online be taxed. However, in the following viewpoint, Byron Dorgan argues that these taxes often go unpaid because the collection system is complex and burdensome to both consumers and merchants. He contends that the tax collection system must be simplified so that consumers and online businesses will comply with current laws. Furthermore, Dorgan maintains that enforcing Internet tax laws is the only way to ensure that Main Street businesses—which must collect sales taxes—can compete with Internet businesses, and asserts that such taxes help fund schools, fire departments, and other important public services. Byron Dorgan is chairman of the U.S. Senate Democratic Policy Committee and a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

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