Ad Tax – NASBA

NASBA Ad Tax

The NASBA Playbook & Checklist

Fighting Advertising Tax Efforts in Your State

Contact immediately:

Michele Crist (West Virginia)

Dennis Lyle (Illinois)

Polly Johnson (Louisiana)

Michael Ryan (Connecticut)

Vance Harrison (Oklahoma)

Lisa Reynolds (North Carolina)

BEFORE IT’S AN ISSUE:

1. Secure a website domain name for NOADTAX(state name). Obtain today so that you will be ready if and when you need it.

2. Watch for ALL tax-related issues in your legislature. Keywords like Digital Products Tax and their Direct Use and Sales Tax Exemptions for Communication indicate how digital business has grown with our members and this is an area we get dragged into because of content downloads. Be aware of how a bill is written.

* You must be proactive in fighting this Advertising Tax. Take the Lead.

* Form your coalition(s) before it is introduced into legislation.

* Know your partners, your resources and have a strategy.

* If you have a state lobbyist, make them your first line of defense.

* From the start make up a bullet list of talking points and each time when corresponding attach it. The more the members see it and your recipients, the more the facts will sink in.

* Immediately involve your broadcasters to be on alert to market against the tax.

* Call NASBA members at top of page.

1. 4AAAA”s Peter Kosmala has national and state-by-state data on the economic impact of advertising pkosmala@aaaa.org

2. Association of National Advertisers: Keith Scarborough can add to the economic effect of advertising in your state.
kscarborough@ana.net

3. Jim Davidson has national data on advertising and is extremely effective at helping. jdavidson@polsinelli.com

4. American Advertising Federation. Clark Rector was helpful in Illinois and Louisiana. crector@aaf.org

5. Economic Impact of Advertising

1. State Press Association

2. State Retailers Association

3. State Advertising Association

4. Billboard Association

5. Cable Association

Produce Radio spots to be aired by your members
(See Illinois & West Virginia)
Produce Television spots to be aired by your members (See Illinois & West Virginia)
Get your coalition members to use the domain you secured in their correspondence or advertising so that everyone is driven to one site and conveying the same message when they email their legislators.
Get coalition partners to use their media resources to full extent (see Connecticut).
Outdoor (See Illinois)

An overview piece on why an AD tax is fundamentally flawed and toxic in your state (See Illinois & West Virginia)
No Ad Tax talking points (See Illinois)
Talking points for the Governor’s Office (See Illinois)
Fact Sheet on why an Ad Tax is “regressive” and also “toxic” and what the specific losses will be in your state Involve a Broadcaster who is in your state legislature immediately. (See Illinois)
Involve a “SIGNIFICANT” Broadcaster who can move the needle with the legislature (Connecticut used ESPN)
Find legislators to write HOUSE and SENATE RESOLUTIONS opposing an Ad Tax (See Illinois)
One Sheet on the FLORIDA FAILURE (See Illinois)
Coalition Partnership News Release (See Illinois)
2008 testimony which helped to defeat the sales tax initiative in Pennsylvania

10. Depending on whether your exemption is a separate line item or bundled with others services…choose your coalition wisely. You may at some point if you are bundled need to carve out.

11. Committee attorneys can be your best friend. The importance of being able to get a heads up or a bill before it is introduced is invaluable.