Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin announced Tuesday that Joseph H. Guttentag, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs, will serve as his delegate to the Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce, established last October under the Internet Tax Freedom Act.

In making his selection, Secretary Rubin stated that Guttentag has a substantial background in both tax and electronic commerce issues and would make a significant contribution to the Commission's work.

Under the legislation the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative, or their respective delegates, will also be members of the Commission. U.S. Commerce Secretary Daley has appointed Andrew Pincus, Department of Commerce General Counsel, as his delegate. Pincus has had responsibility for a number of electronic commerce-related issues at the Commerce Department, including last year's successful effort to enact legislation implementing the World Intellectual Property Organization treaties that update copyright law for the digital age and issues related to the legal standards governing validity of electronic contracts and the authentication of parties to electronic transactions.

Ambassador Barshefsky, the U.S. Trade Representative, has appointed Robert Novick, Counselor to the United States Trade Representative, as her delegate.

The Commission will conduct a thorough study of Federal, State, local and international taxation and tariff treatment of transactions using the Internet and Internet access and other comparable intrastate, interstate or international sales activities. The Commission is directed to report its findings to Congress, including any legislative recommendations, by May 2000. In addition to establishing the Commission, the Internet Tax Freedom Act imposed a three-year moratorium on new taxes on Internet access and multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.