On February 12th, the European Council of Economics and Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) took steps towards new laws that
would require non-European companies to collect value added tax (VAT) on sales of digital products, such as software,
MP3’s, graphics, and online universities, to EU consumers.
The new Directive eases regulation and taxation on
EU companies, but goes too far on new requirements for non-EU, namely U.S., companies. (More on specifics of the
Directive can be found below in our guest column.) Despite a Directive last year from the EU to encourage the
global growth of e-Commerce, the Directive is in conflict as they specifically target US-based companies, who dominate
the global marketplace as home to 80 of the top 100 technology related firms in the world.
The EU has carelessly
risked US participation in the marketplace, with some already discussing the possibility of a trade war. Instead of
expanding the EU e-commerce marketplace, they have risk further regionalizing e-Commerce, with EU consumers taking the
brunt of the proposal.
The matter now rests with the European Parliament, where the United Kingdom has been a
reluctant hold-out. The UK’s position is now unclear.
You can rest assured that we will be watching this
carefully as we head to the United Kingdom later this month.
The February 12th ECOFIN Directive was a wake up call for us and a signal that we needed to expand our efforts overseas.
As such, we are proud to announce the formation of a spin-off group, NoETax.com.
NoETax.com will be based
in the United Kingdom and will pattern their efforts to encourage average citizens to learn more about the pitfalls of
Internet regulation and taxation after our highly successful U.S. campaign last year, which renewed the existing U.S.
Internet moratorium for two years.
We are proud to announce the addition of our European colleagues and look
forward to working with their new organization as we move forward with our new plans.
Key leadership from both
groups will be meeting in the UK in April to plan a series of publicity events, projects and a media campaign to raise
the profile of e-Tax publicly before the key votes take place this Spring.
NoETax.com was founded by Andre Walker,
who has assumed the senior posts of Executive Director of NoETax.com respectively. Andre is working with NoInternetTax to
plan a Europe wide media tour and have high hopes for the new pressure group.
“E-Tax is a huge risk and is not an
issue that the public know a great deal about, our central aim is to change that,” stated Walker. “This risk has defiantly
gone global and therefore we need a global response.”
The group hopes to pressure the Europeans on their quest to
spur the global economy, particularly British Prime Minister Tony Blair, though grassroots efforts into ruling out the tax
rise. Initial phases will target young people, who rely more than any other group on email and text messaging, both of which
are likely tax targets.
To learn more about Walker, please visit:
/default.asp?Page=Board
EU Digital VAT Directive Explained
The European Union (EU) has approved plans to force foreign companies to levy
value-added tax on services digitally delivered via the Internet, radio or television to customers in the EU.
The
Directive will aim to create a “level playing field” between EU and United States (U.S.) companies for services such as
downloading compact disks, software, videos or computer games supplied in digital form. Online or remote university
studies, radio and television are also effected under the new Directive.
The Directive requires foreign companies to
register in at least one EU country and levy VAT at the rate of that country, somewhere between 15% and 25%.
Another
part of Directive would help EU companies selling digitally to consumers in the U.S. by amending an EU law that forces them
to charge VAT. They will now charge the zero rate of VAT that applies to exports. The Directive has already been criticised
by U.S. companies who described the proposals as “e-protectionism“.
Ignoring all of the impracticalities of how this
tax would be implemented, the main reason to oppose the tax is that there is absolutely no justification for it in the first
place.
The main reasoning behind the EU’s Directive is their assertion that much information is transmitted via the
Internet these days by businesses, so there must be an additional tax levied upon this form of communication.
However,
bearing in mind that there is no equivalent taxation on any other method of information transfer, it instantly becomes obvious
that such reasoning is wholly inappropriate and without precedence, especially given that tax is already paid when the necessary
equipment is purchased, and tax is also paid on the phone call made to access the internet.
What the EU is proposing is
to tax that, which is already taxed.
We will campaign in Europe and beyond for a no vote on e-taxation by lobbying British
Priminister Tony Blair and raising the issue in the British and European parliaments.
NoEtax.com is determined to fight
for the consumers and e-Commerce ventures, which will undoubtedly be affected by the wholly unnecessary implementation of the
European e-tax policy. It is our aim to combat a global issue, by launching a global response.
(The directive can be
found at: http://www.cordis.lu/esprit/src/ecomcomx.htm)
Recently, we issued an alert in Washington State to stop “streamlining” efforts needed to impose Internet taxation.
Two Representatives replied to our action alert by stating that we were “off the deep end” on the legislation
and our position.
In the words of Margaret Thatcher, “...if they attack one personally, it means they have not
a single political argument left.”
Our members responded in droves and we are happy to report that HB 2608 is
dead in the Washington State House of Representatives.
Thank you to each and everyone for your hard work in this
battle. Without your efforts and support, the corporations, big government advocates and pro-Internet tax supporters may win.
On Monday, March 18th, the UN will begin a four-day conference in Monterrey, Mexico, to discuss ways to tax the world.
President Bush will be attending this conference--email him today at: president@whitehouse.gov and tell him to say NO to
the United Nations.
Remember, this is the same group who in 1999 buried a proposal to levy BIT taxes on emails in a
report on the human condition...
Our work to educate and inform members of the European Union, United Nations and World Trade Organization is just beginning.
Please consider making a donation today. We can’t continue this fight without your support. Your contribution can be
mailed to us at:
NoInternetTax.org 12500 NE 10th Place Bellevue, WA 98003
As NoInternetTax.org engages
in grassroots and direct lobbying, donations are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal tax purposes.
NoInternetTax.org is organized as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization under Washington State Law.
Special thank you’s this month to the following individuals for their hard work and support!
Scott Burge, Emily Cummins,
Heath Hilyard, Kate Losleben, Brett Mecum, Javier Ortiz, Andre Walker, Chris Blanchard
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