Sam
Johnson’s cell-phone fix passes the House
April
15, 2008
Today
common-sense legislation authored by U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson
(3rd Dist.-Texas) passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
Johnson’s measure, The MOBILE (Modernize Our Bookkeeping
In the Law for Employee’s) Cell Phone Act, H.R. 5450, would
update the tax treatment of cell phones and Blackberries used
for business and repeal the requirement that employers and employees
maintain detailed logs of cell phone use.
The
House approved Johnson’s initiative as part of the Taxpayer
Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008, H.R. 5719, that passed
the House 238 - 179. Johnson, who sits on the tax-writing Ways
and Means Committee, swiftly pushed his cell phone proposal through
Congress.
A
constituent concern generated the concept for Johnson’s
legislation. In February, a lawyer from North Texas contacted
the Congressman on behalf of a client. The IRS wanted the client
to keep records on employee cell phone and Blackberry use or forfeit
the deduction. Given the tremendous advances in this technology,
Johnson thought the IRS should modernize the tax code as quickly
as possible.
“Picture
a cell phone in 1989. Back then, cell phones were the size of
a shoe, it required a suitcase to carry the battery, and each
minute cost a small mint. Around that time, a law was put in place
to require that detailed log sheets be kept by employees of their
cell phone use in order to document their business use. Those
rules made sense back then. Fast forward to today. Clearly, time
and technology have marched on. It’s time that we updated
this outdated law,” said Johnson.
Because
Democrats loaded up the tax simplification bill with unrelated
items, Johnson voted against the Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification
Act of 2008.
Johnson
represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.
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