Then they'll just argue that it's a "service," not a "good." The same way you still pay sales tax on movie rentals even though you don't own the movie.viranimus said:
...Wait, do they charge sales tax on things like movie rentals?
State Legislature Attempts to Tax All Digital Downloads
- Thread starter Greg Tito
- Start date
...Wait, do they charge sales tax on things like movie rentals?
Solving US debt: 5% sales tax on everything. About 300 million people in the states right? If they just do that and DON'T spend anymore than what they currently spend, that would help alot, but it won't happen, no sir.
Depends on the state and their view on if goods and services are taxable.Steve the Pocket said:
Still, this issue of digital property needs to be resolved and this is a perfect point for this matter to be viewed and determined once and for all. Dont give them a cut until they do their job.
I was all set to admit the fairness of the tax but you brought up a great concern I have with commerce in the digital age. Good thinking.viranimus said:
As for the ECA, it's their job to advocate for consumers. It's not surprising they would be against a tax that affects consumers even if it seems fair.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't see an issue with digital sales being taxed. Just like any person I agree that it sucks to pay taxes but as internet shopping continues to grow, there is zero reason for it not to be taxed. Sorry ECA, you're on your own.
Pretty much. Hopefully cooler heads prevail and we don't have unwarranted internet rage.ablac said:
There is a HUGE difference between hard copies vs digital copies for tax to make sense. According to game companies like EA and Activision, we are mearly borrowing or leasing a copy of their games. So I am to be charged tax for something that isn't even mine to begin with. When it comes to vehicles, we have an option to own said vehicle/car/van/etc once we believe we can afford it. You can't do that with most downloadable copies of media/entertainment.
Those "$10" DLC are not going to look appealing when they become $12-$15usd depending on how much tax they want to add. Just because other countries get shafted by tax on Digital Distribution does not mean I want to be shafted too.
Those "$10" DLC are not going to look appealing when they become $12-$15usd depending on how much tax they want to add. Just because other countries get shafted by tax on Digital Distribution does not mean I want to be shafted too.
Ah politicians will stop at nothing to grab money to pass to their friends and relatives. The story is as old as time.
This money has nothing to do with the politician's bank accounts. They will pay themselves even if they have to bankrupt the state to do it. Taxes like this (and other ones that actually make sense) just allow for them to leave some/more for the rest of us.rembrandtqeinstein said:
If hard copies of said media are already taxed, why is everyone getting so butthurt about them being taxed in a different form of media?
And to whomever said that you don't "own" digital copies, obviously you didn't read the EULA that comes with your hard copy.
While you may own the disc said game comes on, it gives you no more rights than a digital copy does.
And to whomever said that you don't "own" digital copies, obviously you didn't read the EULA that comes with your hard copy.
While you may own the disc said game comes on, it gives you no more rights than a digital copy does.
I hope it passes. It means that, either by raising the prices to compensatate or just taking a profit hit, DLC won't make as much money, so you won't have as much crap that ME3 had. We might actually get some games with all the intended content already included.
I hope it passes and spreads.
I hope it passes and spreads.
No, because the publisher will still make you pay the base price, then the sales tax is added. It's not directly added to the cost. So that $10 DLC will be $10.80 ($0.80 sales tax), EA still makes the same amount of money.Valdus said:
See no issue with it however, the state needs money, and 8% isn't that bad, even though my province only has a 5% GST.
While I don't have a problem in principle with online sales being taxed, I do wonder how they imagine that companies - to say nothing of indies - are supposed to keep track of tax rates for every territory that a customer could possibly reside in. What if I give a company an address in a state with lower taxes but download everything so it doesn't matter?
And then we get the question: who's responsible? How is the seller supposed to know what state the buyer counts as being in? How is the seller expected to keep track of each and every tax rate change everywhere in the world? I'd like to hope that the governments an API that everyone can use to handle all this stuff, but I don't think anyone has thought this far ahead it.
Once money gets put on the table, all this stuff suddenly matters, yet I don't see an easy fix; it's looks likely to eat up as much money as will actually be generated.
And then we get the question: who's responsible? How is the seller supposed to know what state the buyer counts as being in? How is the seller expected to keep track of each and every tax rate change everywhere in the world? I'd like to hope that the governments an API that everyone can use to handle all this stuff, but I don't think anyone has thought this far ahead it.
Once money gets put on the table, all this stuff suddenly matters, yet I don't see an easy fix; it's looks likely to eat up as much money as will actually be generated.