Bad News for Our EU Friends

[RayM]

I found this summary in yesterday's Wall Street Journal:

"A Tax on Internet Products: The European Union approved rules that will require companies in the United States and elsewhere outside the 15-nation union to levy a value-added tax on products like computer games and software sold over the Internet to consumers. The new rules take effect in July 2003. (Reuters)"

Bummer...

[Greg McCarty]

Originally posted by RayM
I found this summary in yesterday's Wall Street Journal:

"A Tax on Internet Products: The European Union approved rules that will require companies in the United States and elsewhere outside the 15-nation union to levy a value-added tax on products like computer games and software sold over the Internet to consumers. The new rules take effect in July 2003. (Reuters)"

Bummer...

It will happen. It will not bring those governments significant revenue. It will provoke piracy, and clever black marketing. Such foolishness just reroutes a desired commodity under the bureaucrats feet to those that seek it. The result in general will be resentment, but certainly not revenue. In the long run, it will fail. Guaranteed. This is 1920's style socialism with a modern face.

[scimitar]

Well, perheaps it will be possible to avoid that tax: as an European, if I order for Matrixgames softwares at Hannants, United Kingdom, I don't have to be taxed if I understand well... And I think that Hannants will order at Matrixgames via letter of fax...
Europeans politics (and especially the Belgians!!!) are always looking to create new taxes: a kind of sport? Well, I prefer soccer...

[rosary]

Governments don't really solve problems for us peasants. They just create them.

I was not here. I did not say this.

[scimitar]

Originally posted by scimitar
Well, perheaps it will be possible to avoid that tax: as an European, if I order for Matrixgames softwares at Hannants, United Kingdom, I don't have to be taxed if I understand well... And I think that Hannants will order at Matrixgames via letter of fax...
Europeans politics (and especially the Belgians!!!) are always looking to create new taxes: a kind of sport? Well, I prefer soccer...

Sorry, little mistake: I want say "Duchet", not "Hannants" (the last one is a big model shop for model makers...)

[RayM]

And a grand one it is indeed!

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

Guys....

Get yourself a nice girlfriend in the US while you can.

Someone reliable that can mail order your software needs from inside the US and then just mail it to ya from there.

In this way you can best usurp the insanity of your politicians.

Taxes? what taxes?

Of course if you enjoy supporting the fine job your Euro politico types are doing.... forget any of this post.

[Yogi Yohan]

Originally posted by Greg McCarty


It will happen. It will not bring those governments significant revenue. It will provoke piracy, and clever black marketing. Such foolishness just reroutes a desired commodity under the bureaucrats feet to those that seek it. The result in general will be resentment, but certainly not revenue. In the long run, it will fail. Guaranteed. This is 1920's style socialism with a modern face.

I agree completely. Just like the US tariffs on steel...

[Yogi Yohan]

Originally posted by Les the Sarge 9-1
Guys....

Get yourself a nice girlfriend in the US while you can.

Someone reliable that can mail order your software needs from inside the US and then just mail it to ya from there.

In this way you can best usurp the insanity of your politicians.

Taxes? what taxes?

Of course if you enjoy supporting the fine job your Euro politico types are doing.... forget any of this post.

No, they are just as bad as the Amero-politico types...

[robbo]

Originally posted by Yogi Yohan


I agree completely. Just like the US tariffs on steel...

Your statement would make more sense if Les the Sarge was from the US...

:rolleyes:

robbo

[Yogi Yohan]

Originally posted by robbo


Your statement would make more sense if Les the Sarge was from the US...

:rolleyes:

robbo

You're quoting my answer to Greg McCarty, who's from the United States.

:rolleyes:

[robbo]

Originally posted by Yogi Yohan


Your quoting my answer to Greg McCarty, who's from the United States.

:rolleyes:

which just goes to show that I am an idiot.

:rolleyes:

robbo

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

As we speak...

My friend Margaret (who is single eh guys), is waiting on my decision to purchase a compilation cd or just go with my original requirement for a cd that has just Allied General on it (yes I know its an old game that insists on the Win 95 platform).

Located it from CD Access.com (found them after I noticed that Allied General is no longer a free download at theunderdogs).

Not sure who else might have access to this game commercially; not sure it's important though. I don't have access to a credit card (and I just don't feel like playing the money order game with a company thats designed to do online transactions through credit cards).

Did notice that Cd Access.com has quite a wealth of games though. Which means my texas flower will be getting a lot of my attention in the future I suppose.

And through it all......

This Canadian will be holding up his middle finger to bureaucrats in Canada the US and for any other politician that attempts to stick additional costs on me.

Free Trade is a farce. Nafta is a farce. Tarrifs are a blatant attack or pure cpaitalism. The truth is I don't give a hoot if a country likes or dislikes this attitude.
I refuse to purchase a product for more than what the company that is selling it for.
Take US farmers for instance. They are getting aid so they can out do Canadian farmers. I don't give a hoot if either gets aid.
Let the best country win. The one with the least interest in aid loses. Screw the World Trade Organization entirely.

Canada makes enough wheat to feed all it's people. If we can't sell to the US, then don't. If the US wants to sell us wheat cheaper than our farmers, then we have a choice to make. Proudly support our farmers, and tell the US farmers to get stuffed and keep their wheat, or accept that no one really cares, and the cheapest wheat rules.

Oh enough of this dialogue.

Original point is, only those that like tarrifs pay them.

[Belisarius]

This will have a limited effect on sales, IMO. The EU requires non-EU companies to levy the VAT, yes. But that only applies to software ordered over the internet from a non-eu country.

Now, a VAST majority of software sales in ALL countries, including the EU member states, stems from local retailers or internet orders from domestic companies. VAT already included!

Basically, they're patching a loop-hole in international trade regulations. Even if I can get it cheaper (until now that is) by ordering from the U.S., I prefer to order domestically, or at least within the EU. (hello Duchet!) Quicker, cheaper shipping and easier RMA handling.

And as for the 20's socialism BS -yeah, you guys with the steel tariffs should do the talking :rolleyes:

[Spooky]

Well, since the Matrix products are sold by Internet but delivered on a CD - The European VAT is asked to the EU customer when the UPS truck arrives

This law would applied to Matrix only if european customers were able to download the software without any material delivery

[RolandRahn_MatrixForum]

Originally posted by scimitar
Well, perheaps it will be possible to avoid that tax: as an European, if I order for Matrixgames softwares at Hannants, United Kingdom, I don't have to be taxed if I understand well... And I think that Hannants will order at Matrixgames via letter of fax...
Europeans politics (and especially the Belgians!!!) are always looking to create new taxes: a kind of sport? Well, I prefer soccer...

That's fine.
When I place an order for a dozen CDs, the customs are charging me with 16%.
This new law won't change anything for me.
What really makes me worry is the attempt to enforce censorship on the internet.....

Kind regards,
Roland

[Spooky]

Originally posted by scimitar
Well, perheaps it will be possible to avoid that tax: as an European, if I order for Matrixgames softwares at Hannants, United Kingdom, I don't have to be taxed if I understand well... And I think that Hannants will order at Matrixgames via letter of fax...
Europeans politics (and especially the Belgians!!!) are always looking to create new taxes: a kind of sport? Well, I prefer soccer...

The English Matrix dealer (Duchet) will not pay the "Internet only Tax" since they already pay the duty tax when they import the products from the US

The goal of this 'Internet only Tax" is to be able to tax products sold only by Internet without any material item delivered ... and so preventing the customs from taxing them when they arrived in the EU

Spooky

[scimitar]

Merci pour la précision, Spooky...

[WhiteRook]

Sarge, have you tried the option to emulate win95 or 98 when using XP??
I was able to get all the General games to run on XP using this mode - the one exception being Pacific General. Of course it had to be the one I wanted most to play again! :rolleyes:

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

Your situation is similar to mine Whiterook.

I would never have gone and put Win 98 on my secondary drive partition if not that I need it to run my scanner which is to old to have XP drivers available.

That and I needed 98 to run one of my wargames (Operational Art of War Volume One). And I am thinking of purchasing Allied General, and I already know it wont like XP.

Otherwise I would have no interest in using 98 ever again. 98 crashes, XP doesn't. It's that simple for me.

Emulation mode works in some cases, but often as you have mentioned, not with the one program that means the most to a person hehe.