Q: In layman's terms, what does the Internet Tax Freedom Amendments Act of 2007 mean for me and my organization?
A: As of result of the bill, most state and local governments are prohibited from taxing telecom services purchased by providers of Internet access until November 1, 2014. This moratorium encompasses online services and electronic commerce. If the bill had not passed, taxes on providers would have increased, potentially resulting in increased costs to organizations via additional surcharges or taxes. Further, organizations might have been directly responsible for taxes based upon bits, bandwidth or quantity of email. In other words, Internet connectivity bills could have begun to look like regular phone bills! As many as eight states (Illinois, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Florida, New Hampshire, Missouri, Washington and Minnesota) and several local jurisdictions in those states are currently collecting taxes and will continue to do so, under a grandfather clause.
Q: I found thousands of $.01 charges on my invoice for something called IATF. What is it and can I get rid of it?
A: IATF is a Sprint offering that stands for Interactive Toll Free Services. With IATF, common call center customer functions can be performed instantaneously and automatically through an IVR, leaving agents free to speak with people who need more detailed assistance. Many providers have product offerings and related pricing similar to that of IATF. Surcharges can range from $.01 to $.08 a call, depending on the feature, in addition to any charges for usage. As with most surcharges, the IATF can be negotiated.
For more visit www.aotmp.com.
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