September 23, 2009 10:40 AM
Promotion of Teleworking Should be Top Federal Communications Commission Priority, Says National Homeowners Group
In response to a request for comments from the Federal Communications Commission, we suggested a variety of new policies to promote teleworking. Teleworking incentives will help the environment, homeowners, and businesses. Homeowners are welcoming telework for many reasons. With the dramatic growth in two income families, time-starved parents find that teleworking helps them cope with the many responsibilities of child-rearing. As commuting distances and times lengthen due to suburban sprawl, teleworking also provides a way to recapture precious hours lost to traffic jams. Surveys consistently show that telecommuting programs are among the most popular employee benefits. A recent survey of members of the American Institute of Architects revealed that home offices are the most popular special function room of new home buyers for the third year in a row."
Home-based technology-centric businesses (we call them telehome businesses) benefit society in many ways. Telehome business owners and telecommuters are helping to reduce rush hour traffic jams and defer the need for state and federal transportation infrastructure expansion and maintenance investments. No vehicle gets better mileage during rush hour than one that remains in the driveway. A study by TIAX LLC determined that a full time telecommuter who lives 22 miles from her office would save 320 gallons of gasoline and reduce CO2 emissions by 4.5 to 6 tons per year. The shift to teleworking is thus helping reduce environmental pollution and global warming.
Our policy recommendations:
a. Provide federal and state tax credits to encourage teleworking.
b. Prohibit state sales taxes on Internet transactions in order to stimulate home-based Internet commerce businesses and reduce driving to shopping malls.
c. Reduce the depreciable lifespan of technology products to 2 years. Recordkeeping should also be simplified and liberalized for home offices, and limited personal use of computers, Internet access services, cell phones, etc., should be exempt from taxable liability.
d. Focus the $7 billion+ in stimulus funds allocated for expanding broadband service to unserved areas which will not soon be served by other private/public sector broadband deployments already in process.
e. Focus the $7 billion+ in stimulus funds on rural areas with urban/suburban demographic characteristics, which are good candidates for broadband deployment from an ROI standpoint.
AHGA also recommended several tax incentives to encourage businesses to invest in telecommuting programs and help broadband service providers both strengthen their networks and expand the availability of broadband services in unserved areas. The complete text of the American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance's FCC submission is here.
Home-based technology-centric businesses (we call them telehome businesses) benefit society in many ways. Telehome business owners and telecommuters are helping to reduce rush hour traffic jams and defer the need for state and federal transportation infrastructure expansion and maintenance investments. No vehicle gets better mileage during rush hour than one that remains in the driveway. A study by TIAX LLC determined that a full time telecommuter who lives 22 miles from her office would save 320 gallons of gasoline and reduce CO2 emissions by 4.5 to 6 tons per year. The shift to teleworking is thus helping reduce environmental pollution and global warming.
Our policy recommendations:
a. Provide federal and state tax credits to encourage teleworking.
b. Prohibit state sales taxes on Internet transactions in order to stimulate home-based Internet commerce businesses and reduce driving to shopping malls.
c. Reduce the depreciable lifespan of technology products to 2 years. Recordkeeping should also be simplified and liberalized for home offices, and limited personal use of computers, Internet access services, cell phones, etc., should be exempt from taxable liability.
d. Focus the $7 billion+ in stimulus funds allocated for expanding broadband service to unserved areas which will not soon be served by other private/public sector broadband deployments already in process.
e. Focus the $7 billion+ in stimulus funds on rural areas with urban/suburban demographic characteristics, which are good candidates for broadband deployment from an ROI standpoint.
AHGA also recommended several tax incentives to encourage businesses to invest in telecommuting programs and help broadband service providers both strengthen their networks and expand the availability of broadband services in unserved areas. The complete text of the American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance's FCC submission is here.
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