Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellmark
In the backwards countries, ebooks have different rates and taxes than normal books, because they're seen as more luxury items, or simply because the laws on the books haven't been updated to recognize ebooks as being books. One example of this is that in the UK, ebooks have the full 20% VAT (value added tax), while paper books are VAT free.
|
It's nothing to do with countries being "backwards"; it's a matter of national governments having to abide by EU law, which REQUIRES eBooks to attract the full rate of VAT in each member state.
Now Luxembourg, as you know, has just reduced its eBook VAT rate from 15% to 3%. Whether this indicates a change in EU law, I don't know, but if so, I'm sure that other countries will follow suit.
BTW, paper books are not "VAT free" in the UK, but they are rated at zero %. That's not the same thing.