Satellite television retailers sent a letter to lawmakers today urging the Legislature to reject a Senate proposal to impose a new tax on satellite television subscribers. This tax would be an addition to the 6% tax already paid by Vermonters making the total tax among the highest in the nation.
Satellite television retailers across Vermont sell and service satellite television for about 100,000 Vermonters. They say the plan will give cable an unfair advantage. This tax hike targets Vermonters who depend on satellite television for news, emergency information and entertainment, costing them millions of dollars. In addition, the cost of doing business for this industry will go up and could lead to job losses.
“I hope the Legislature will oppose this unfair tax. We are good Vermont companies who pay good wages to our employees,” said Jerry Mischanko, Owner, Mid State Satellite Systems, Inc in Rutland. “As a small business, if this tax goes through and we lose business, I’ll definitely need to find ways to cut my expenses and that means jobs. Our customers depend on our service and should not be singled out and forced to pay higher prices.”
The group of retailers from all across Vermont signed a letter, which was delivered to lawmakers on Tuesday. Their hope is that lawmakers will once again scrap the proposal.
Satellite TV in Vermont:
- Serves 98,915 households in Vermont (almost half of the homes that subscribe choose satellite)
- Provides over 200 jobs for Vermonters
- Rural Vermont depends on satellite TV since cable does not often provide service to their area
- Satellite TV offers a wider range of foreign language programming in comparison to cable
Source: SBCA 5.5.2015
The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association is the national trade organization representing the consumer satellite industry. It is committed to creating value added programs to promote growth and sustainability of our member companies through member benefits and training. SBCA also provides industry leadership on advocating for consumer access to the best in satellite delivered services and assuring its availability at a fair price. Additional information can be found at www.sbca.org.