http://www.google.com/hostedne ... Bey_1cAAmZx3lArC6B8aNmfnA

http://news.cnet.com/2100-1028_3-6186193.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7178340.stm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new ... unces-broadband-plan.html

Thought id post this just to bring this issue a bit more attention. Has anyone been affected by this?

In the UK we already pay VAT on our ISP service. Adding another exclusive tax reeks of greed imo.

It is much like the tax imposed on VCRs and tapes, and blank optical media.
Other countries have it, but we don't...yet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_copying_levy

Not really Beano, this is more like paying a tax to get on the bus depsite whether you have purchased a ticket or not.

And you wonder why this is one of the main stories today for this publisher.

Well, 2 of your links refer to people buying from the likes of iTunes and not being charged tax due to the weirdy workings of the US tax system.

One is about the French, and doesn't give much info.

The other is about that report that was released recently in the UK, where it didn't mention much about it at all in the report proper. Brown and his cronies spouting off their ideas without checking that they are feasible first again.

The other links and the american tax system i provided are just details.
As to the impact its all quite relative.

http://www.computeractive.co.u ... osal-internet-tax-illegal

Currently, we don't have "internet tax" here but it's only inevitable once "television tax" (224€ per year) is expanded to include computers with internet access. I doubt it will have any benefits for users, as two channels that have been funded by this tax have been showing same shows for 15 years now, or just old news.... in swedish.

Quote :

Lord Carter's report is expected to push for a merger between Channel 4 and either Five or BBC Worldwide to create a viable non-commercial competitor to the BBC.

This line really struck a nerve, there's no competition when user is forced to buy (both) products.