November 16, 2000 | Read Time: 1 minute
By GRANT WILLIAMS
House Majority Leader Dick Armey has criticized the I.R.S. for the tax agency’s recent announcement that it is “considering the necessity” of putting out guidance that would clarify how the tax code should be applied to the use of the Internet by charities and other nonprofit organizations.
The revenue service asked for public comment on the way it should view charities that have Web sites or communicate with the public through electronic mailing lists, list serves, chat rooms, or other methods (The Chronicle, November 2).
The I.R.S. said that among its concerns was whether a nonprofit group that constantly modifies its Web site should be required to maintain information from previous versions of its site. The government also was thinking over whether a charity is responsible for the political or advocacy content of another Web site to which it provides links from its own site.
Mr. Armey, a Texas Republican, said the tax agency’s request is alarming.
“The I.R.S. has no business getting involved in whether a think tank has links on its Web site, or how often a charity’s site is updated,” Mr. Armey said. “The idea of turning the tax man into a Net cop would have a chilling effect on free speech on the Internet.”
Mr. Armey said he was heartened that the Internal Revenue Service said it had made no final decision about the need for new guidance and might eventually conclude that no further action was necessary.
“I’m glad the agency has not taken any regulatory action yet,” said Mr. Armey. “But let’s be clear about this. We will be watching what they do, and we will not tolerate any backdoor attempt to regulate the Internet.”
