UK ebooks

[neilmarr]

The same stores are pretty quick to withold thirty percent of royalties as US tax, Bev, so that publishers like my own (registered outside the USA) have to hire expensive accountants and lawyers to fill in complex forms to prove we have a mutual tax treaty with the IRS.

And, you may have noticed that Amazon only mentions the UK when it comes to excusing its $2 loading as to cover VAT (elsewhere the excuse is wireless costs). The jury is still out on whether an ebook is 'purchased' or 'licenced'. If licenced, Amazon provides a 'service'. VAT is far different on 'services'.

It's all a smoke screen. And it's got to be fixed by the big boys ... under pressure from those at the top of the food chain (that's why they call US the consumers). Neil

[bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

The same stores are pretty quick to withold thirty percent of royalties as US tax, Bev, so that publishers like my own (registered outside the USA) have to hire expensive accountants and lawyers to fill in complex forms to prove we have a mutual tax treaty with the IRS.

And, you may have noticed that Amazon only mentions the UK when it comes to excusing its $2 loading as to cover VAT (elsewhere the excuse is wireless costs). The jury is still out on whether an ebook is 'purchased' or 'licenced'. If licenced, Amazon provides a 'service'. VAT is far different on 'services'.

It's all a smoke screen. And it's got to be fixed by the big boys ... under pressure from those at the top of the food chain (that's why they call US the consumers). Neil

I fully agree it's a smoke screen. But it strikes me as very similar to what happened with downloadable software a few years back. We used to get away with downloading US software directly from the producer's site - free of both US sales tax and European VAT.

Then, they set up some sort of intermediary to collect payments (including VAT). Now it seems most of the time, the truly commercial software is handled by a local distributor for the country. It's all a matter of "ease" for the sellers, not at all for the customers.

[wilsonlaidlaw]

It is all a bit moot, as the TNT delivery men in Marseille, have decided to quaff Pastis and eat garlic sausage sandwiches rather than get off their backsides and deliver my iPad, which has been at their depot since last night. Having arranged to be at home all day today for the scheduled delivery, they now say they will be delivering Monday, when I am visiting my brother in hospital in Monaco. Can I pick it up from the depot - Non!

For those looking for a website that ignores country of origin, that takes Paypal and whose prices are reasonable, I have been a buyer from www.fictionwise.com for about 8 years. Limited choice of UK market books though, unless it is an author popular in the US.

Like others have said, I object to paying Waterstones more for an eBook than they are charging for the physical edition in hardback. I hope that the increasing popularity of the iPad and other universal readers will change the dynamics of the supply/demand situation in favour of eBooks.

Wilson

[neilmarr]

Hope you find your brother well on Monday, Wilson. I've been a frequent guest in the operating theatres and rooms of both the Princess Grace Hospital and the Cardiothoratique clinic in Monaco over the past ten years (last time, just last month). I can assure you that he'll be well looked after.

You're right about lax customs duty in France. I often buy pipe tobacco online from the US. The packages are clearly and honestly stamped with their taxable contents, but I've never once been asked to pat tax on them. Shhhhhhhh...

When it comes to the witholding of US tax at source by ebook retailers, the trouble is that it's unjust. Sure there's the choice of paying tax in your home country, but the stumbling blocks in the way are difficult to overcome.

My own house will deal with it because we must. We have a relatively large current catalogue and use many retail outlets in the US. But the independent author, whose earnings are likely not to reach a taxable level at home, will either just have to eat it or withdraw his/her work in protest. Establishing treaty status is just not worth the bother for someone with one or a half dozen books out there.

As for Kindle's loading. That is arbitrary and quite unfair -- especially to a US resident with a US-registered Kindle buying with a US credit card from his own US account ... and who is still charged the loading if he happens to be on holiday or a business trip abroad. Sure, there are some genuine red tape issues. But it's up to the big players to overcome that.

They won't, of course, why should they? The major publishers have the tax situation already in hand, and Amazon doesn't give a damn because simply slapping a couple of bucks on 'foreign' downloads makes life awful easy for them. It would be interesting to hear the mechanics of how Amazon actually PAYS the taxes it claims it is collecting for foreign governments, though.

Best. Neil

[keith14121]

It would seem that this is an issue that's not going to be resolved anytime soon. It's a pity that Amazon.com don't issue a warning (as far as I know thet do not) prior to buying a Kindle that UK readers will face an issue downloading books from their site

On a positive note though, amazon's kindle applications for PC, Ipad etc are great in as much that I can read a book on one device and pick up where I left off on another.

[neilmarr]

I guess, Keith. Really, we're splitting hairs when we consider the sheer personal value of ebooks and our reading devices. Thanks for reminding me. Here's karma to ya. Cheers. Neil