In a recent article behind its paywall, LehighValleyLive.com (the on-line version of the Express Times) reports that Pennsylvania officials are considering the institution of an “e-commerce convenience fee” in the form of a per-box fee or a tax for online purchases as an additional tax to fund transportation. The theory behind the proposal is that there are some who benefit from the state’s transportation system do not pay for its upkeep or improvement.
But the purchasers of the packages pay sales tax and the trucks that deliver the packages undoubtedly generate gasoline and other taxes. The article does not indicate why trucks delivering e-commerce packages would disproportionately require additional roadway maintenance than say trucks delivering inventory to brick and mortar stores.
This is clearly just a money grab. If Pennsylvania is really concerned about its road network, it would stop diverting a constitutionally mandated funding source to fund the state police.
Jay Bohn
July 15, 2021