UK e-book prices to rise from 1st January 2015

[Little.Egret]

UK and many other EU e-book prices to rise from 1st January 2015

At present a Kindle store e-book sold in the EU is 'supplied' by Amazon Media EU S.à r.l. in Luxembourg and so in accordance with the current EU VAT rules pays Luxembourg VAT at 3% (may be different in Sweden).

From 1st January 2015 Amazon must use the VAT rate for the customer's location (as for mail order) so a UK customer will be charged VAT at 20% and so the bill will be 16.5 % more.


So buy before the year end, or buy from Baen.


Diane Duane complained about the uncertainties and impact on small
businesses.

http://dianeduane.com/outofambit/201...-cyber-monday/

== more detail and links
After /5 years/ of preparation the EU has mandated that VAT (think sales tax) be charged on all EU internet purchases of ‘Electronically supplied services’ such as downloads, based on the VAT rate appropriate to the customer’s location, just like mail order physical goods (currently supplier location is used).

From 1st January 2015

Which means they had to define what was to happen if you bought a ringtone using a mobile or hotspot from a hotel, plane, train or ship.

The final regulation came out a year ago
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...01:0007:EN:PDF
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs...es_2015_en.pdf

I wonder if there was any difference between pay for e-book and be given download link (Baen, Diane Duane) and buy e-book immediate download (Kindle store) when you were on holiday or working in a different EU country.

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vat/lea...stop-shop.html
http://onemanbandaccounting.co.uk/eu-vat-changes-2015/

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...-one-stop-shop

http://www.clarejosa.com/articles/fr...vat-moss-mess/

http://womenonthebusinessstage.co.uk...uct-suppliers/

http://www.theguardian.com/small-bus...cro-businesses

[fjtorres]

Baen will be impacted, too.
The new law explicitly demands that vendors outside the EU doing business with their citizens collect the tax and send the money to the corresponding authority.

[JSWolf]

One thing to do is to get a VPN and set it to someplace with lower VAT.

[taustin]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Baen will be impacted, too.
The new law explicitly demands that vendors outside the EU doing business with their citizens collect the tax and send the money to the corresponding authority.

How are they planning to enforce that on companies that have no presence in the EU? Troop deployments?

[tompe]

Originally Posted by taustin

How are they planning to enforce that on companies that have no presence in the EU? Troop deployments?

In the same way that copyright infringement is enforced.

[simond]

Also beat in mind that not all UK ebook stores are based outside the UK. I know at least Waterstones and Sainsbury's are based in the UK and presumably already pay the full tax.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

One thing to do is to get a VPN and set it to someplace with lower VAT.

Tax evasion is a serious criminal offence, Jon. That really wouldn't be a terribly good idea.

[Quexos]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Tax evasion is a serious criminal offence, Jon. That really wouldn't be a terribly good idea.

Always increasing taxes are a crime against the rights of the individuals. It's a Mafia type of behavior where the godfather (the government of any given country) decides to increase arbitrarily the amount of money they take from you to justify (what mafias call) your "protection" (what govs would call citizenship). People must defend themselves however they can.
As for you HarryT, if you don't mind a little bit of criticism, I have noticed you are always 100% on the side of the system and you strike me as being the guy who would tell people to stop breathing the day breathing becomes illegal. Well it's your right to be of course but it's my right to advise the total opposite.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Tax evasion is a serious criminal offence, Jon. That really wouldn't be a terribly good idea.

Pretending to be based in another country is classed as tax avoidance, which is legal.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Quexos

As for you HarryT, if you don't mind a little bit of criticism, I have noticed you are always 100% on the side of the system and you strike me as being the guy who would tell people to stop breathing the day breathing becomes illegal. Well it's your right to be of course but it's my right to advise the total opposite.

Not at all, old boy, but I do happen to think that tax evasion is a particularly egregious offence, because it's stealing from everyone.

I would have thought that this news would be welcomed with open arms by people (and there have been plenty here at MR) who claimed that companies like Amazon were avoiding paying VAT by selling from countries like Luxembourg which have low VAT rates. This change in EU law is designed to close that specific tax loophole, and provide a level playing-field for everyone.

[Quexos]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

One thing to do is to get a VPN and set it to someplace with lower VAT.

Although this would only work for downloaded stuff like e-books. But not when you buy physical stuff on Amazon since you must specify an address for delivery and VAT is added for the delivery address or so I assume.
Or is this increase in VAT for e-books only or for everything else, anyone knows?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Quexos

Although this would only work for downloaded stuff like e-books. But not when you buy physical stuff on Amazon since you must specify an address for delivery and VAT is added for the delivery address or so I assume.
Or is this increase in VAT for e-books only or for everything else, anyone knows?

It only affects downloads, which are currently charged at the seller's VAT rate.

This change brings downloads into line with the sale of physical goods, for which the buyer's VAT rate has always been charged.

Whether it's an increase or a decrease depends where the buyer and seller are located. For downloads from most other EU countries, people in the UK will actually benefit, given that the UK has a VAT rate which is at the lower end of the range.

[Quexos]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Not at all, old boy, but I do happen to think that tax evasion is a particularly egregious offence, because it's stealing from everyone.

I would have thought that this news would be welcomed with open arms by people (and there have been plenty here at MR) who claimed that companies like Amazon were avoiding paying VAT by selling from countries like Luxembourg which have low VAT rates. This change in EU law is designed to close that specific tax loophole, and provide a level playing-field for everyone.

You're serious? Such news welcomed? Forgive me for just a few seconds but I'm reeling back under the shock...
Stealing?... dude one must not have heart issues when reading such posts. Since when one steals when the money is taken from one's own pocket? I worked for that money and the gov comes and arbitrarily takes it from my pocket and it's never enough, they must take more and more REGARDLESS of whether my financial situation is acceptable for me to say I live well with my own small earnings.
I know this specific situation cause well in short at my previous work I was offered the possibility to work week-ends but such work is overtaxed like 70% (here) so I would have ended up working for the gov's benefit and my week-ends would have been screwed FOR the government... I refused naturally, at least that mafia can't (yet) tax my free week-end time.

According to you I must give my week-ends to the gov as if my time is not my own as if the gov owns me.
If you really believe taxes are due and belong to the gov then I evaded by refusing such work as I am not paying what I could to them...

The gov is a criminal type of organization that runs everything and this is an Orwelian 1984 type of system where if you remember the book, the gov shows you 5 fingers and you must answer you only see 3 or something like that, a system where not only those evil criminal bastards of the gov take almost all from you but on top of it brain-wash people into admitting it must be like that and it's normal and people must accept it happily. Well you cannot be further away from the truth and I advise to all to defend their rights to the money they make off the sweat of their own brows by all necessary means, even means that have been talked about here in some threads but to a very small extent as MR does not allow to speak of them but the people with a free mind know...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Quexos

You're serious? Such news welcomed? Forgive me for just a few seconds but I'm reeling back under the shock...

Yes, welcomed. People like Rizla have been going on for years about how unjust it is that Amazon sell from Luxembourg and charge only 3% VAT as a result. I'm sure he's jumping up and down for joy at the prospect of them being "brought into line" and having to pay the same amount of VAT as UK-based companies.

[Quexos]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, welcomed. People like Rizla have been going on for years about how unjust it is that Amazon sell from Luxembourg and charge only 3% VAT as a result. I'm sure he's jumping up and down for joy at the prospect of them being "brought into line" and having to pay the same amount of VAT as UK-based companies.

That is a poor example first cause this is the tobacco industry, not exactly sweet little benevolent choir boys... so their being happy or sad about any news is not exactly the best moral standard of judgement...

But if you had taken a better example it still would have not been a good point as it sounds like someone is happy because they are abused by the gov and they just find out others that are not so abused end up being just as abused. If anything this shows jealousy from the ones that are more taxed (which shows that taxes are bad, after all why would Rizla or any other company in that situation be sad to pay more taxes SINCE as you explain, taxes are good or normal and people must be happy to pay them)

Also you are talking about companies that make huge amounts of money and I'm talking about the rights of simple individuals which are what matters as these tax increases are going to come out of simple folks' pockets as always.