Iowa says Yes to download tax
p2pnet.net news:- Iowa has said Yes to a bill to impose a state sales tax on the sale of digital downloads, including songs, cell phone ring tones, software, audio books and other electronic products.
But the ‘iPod tax,’ as it’s called by Republican critics, “would be collected on the honor system,” says QC Times.
“It would be up to consumers to send payment to the state, right after they finish loading their iPod with new tunes.”
Supporters, “insist digital consumers should play by the same rules as shoppers at traditional stores who must pay sales tax on audio CDs and other items. The tax could bring in $4.8 million annually,” says the story, adding.
“All 20 Senate Republicans voted no. Passage sends the bill to the House.”
(Thanks, Julie)
Also See:
QC Times – iPod tax approved by Senate, April 20, 2007
If your Net access is blocked by government restrictions, try Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at thIs the endSurvey: How Did Copyright Infringement Become Equated with Robbery? (of the Net) nigh?zze University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies. Go here for the official download, here for the p2pnet download, and here for details. And if you’re Chinese and you’re looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent web site blocking outside of China. Download it here.
rss feed: http://p2pnet.net/p2p.rss | | Mobile – http://p2pnet.net/index-wml.php | | And use free p2pnet newsfeeds for your site
Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local politicians. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance. Don’t just complain. Do something!
April 25th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
It’s not about everyone paying a sales tax. It’s about taxing without representation. How are people in Japan selling stuff on the net going to benefit from a tax in Iowa? What sort of representation am I going to get buying out of state on the net?
You think Senator Joe from Alaska is going to listen to my out of state request because I paid a tax in Iowa when I don’t reside in either state? It’s already bad enough that we receive form letters for any communications that don’t really address issues we are concerned with within state.
This is nothing but states looking for new ways to get funding without having to rein in the porkbarrels or benefits that are sacred if they want to keep their offices. I suspect we are on the verge of seeing a new recession coming from the out of control spending in Washington to finance an unpopular war and a whole new branch of government, not to mention the wholesale spying on citizens. That payment will be coming due for the next twenty years or better.
So the easy way to get funding is to create new taxes where none existed before. Here is a prime example of new funding creation.