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Software Company Claims Free Speech Tax Exemption
Posted by Steven Wu on Thursday, December 19 @ 11:51:10 EST Free Expression
Law.com reports that software company Citrix is suing the Florida Department of Revenue to avoid paying taxes. Citrix's theory? "[T]hat all companies acting as purveyors of information and facilitators of communications, including newspapers, TV stations, telephone companies and computer companies, are constitutionally exempt from paying taxes of any kind," because "taxes have a chilling effect on the First Amendment right to free speech under the U.S. Constitution."

This may seem like a crackpot theory--but Citrix is a major company, and it is seeking to include in its class action 499 of the Fortune 500 companies (since those companies are Citrix's customers). It will be interesting to see what the judge does with this complaint.

 
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Re: Software Company Claims Free Speech Tax Exemption (Score: 1)
by JamesGrimmelmann on Thursday, December 19 @ 15:49:07 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.laboratorium.net
The wise-aleck reply is just too easy. Copyright is categorically immune to First Amendment claims; therefore, information providers are not allowed to make First Amendment claims on copyrighted material.

QED.


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Re: Software Company Claims Free Speech Tax Exemption (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Thursday, December 19 @ 23:59:58 EST
"Free" as in speech and beer... interesting.


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