Advocacy Forum

The Pittsburgh Technology Council announced its vigorous opposition to Governor Rendell’s calls to reinstate Pennsylvania’s computer services tax, which could increase taxes on technology businesses by more than $2 billion over the next decade.  “In a time when Pennsylvania’s residents are struggling to find family sustaining jobs, it is more than ridiculous that we would create a tax that will hurt one of the few bright spots in our economy,” said Audrey Russo, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council.

The plan to reinstate the computer services tax was announced as part of larger plan by Governor Rendell that would expand Pennsylvania’s sales and use tax to include many business services, that in most states, are traditionally exempt from such services.  “Given that nearly every state in the union provides exemptions for computer services under their sales and use tax provisons, including the states that border Pennsylvnia, it is easy to envision a mass exodus of Pennsylvania employers if this idea was advanced,” said Russo.