Germany taxes the internet

American Thinker ^ | 10/20/2006 | American Thinker

[TommyC1]

Germany taxes the internet

The power to tax is the power to destroy. The internet has proven rather a bother to many of those with power, allowing anyone with a computer to reach a worldwide audience. Now, our friend David Kaspar, of Davidsmedienkritik, a fine site keeping track of media and events in Gemrany, brings news of Germany’s plans to tax the internet.

Germany’s 16 states agreed on Thursday to introduce from January 1 a licence fee of 5.52 euros (3.70

pounds) a month on computers and mobile phones that can access television and radio programmes via the Internet.

Any household or company that does not already have a licence will have to pay the new levy, which is the same as the one currently charged for radio access, state premiers agreed at a meeting in the town of Bad Pyrmont.”

Finally, a bold step in the fight against Germany’s high unemployment! Taxing the internet and advanced communications technology will certainly earn us the respect of all foreign nations.

And there’s even more good stuff to come – a 3 percent rise of the value added tax to 19 percent on January 1, 2007!

I guess Germany will serve as a shining example of tax policies gone mad in Economics 101 courses all over the world…

[TommyC1]

Hey all you "Fair" Taxers--Here's an example of what you are going to get. Germany sees the need to tax the internet and increase the value added (i.e. the so-called "fair" tax ) from 16% to 19%.

This is what we are in for if the "fair" tax is ever enacted. Posters around here think taxes will go down. What a laugh.

[Chani]

With our without the 'fair' tax...our politicians at some point will also tax the internet. So what's the fair tax have to do with it?

[Eagle of Liberty]

Give me a break. OUR government is looking at taxing the internet right now WITHOUT the Fair Tax.

Another point of distinction: Value added tax ≠ the Fair Tax

Go back to your hole.

[jdub]

Yeah, they'd never raise the income tax rate.....sheesh.

[Jaysun]

Germany's tax system and the "Fair Tax" being proposed here are apples and oranges.

[Bigun]

I don't know for sure but I'll just bet you that the tax this post is talking about bears no relation whatever to the fairtax bill currently before the house ways and means committee here.

[kinoxi]

Germany's example is a tough sell. The previous post of apples to oranges could be considered an understatement.

[EQAndyBuzz]

I think we should tax Hollywood. Just because...

[monkeywrench]

You need to know what you're talking about in the first place, genius. LOL!

[americanbychoice2]

apparently you need to educate yourself about the German Tax system. In addition to their various taxes, they also have a very high Income tax, social tax, business tax, enviromental tax, etc.
Soon they will probably tax the air they breathe.

[YOUGOTIT]

"This is what we are in for if the "fair" tax is ever enacted. Posters around here think taxes will go down. What a laugh."

This is the most uneducated statement I have read in a long time. Even at 19% it is a lot less than the present percentage we are paying. Like 35% to 65%. The social security tax is 15% alone and the Medicare tax is added on top of that. Then income tax in the 10 to 40% range so even at the low end you are paying 30% tax. This of course does not include the taxes on the phone, lights, water, and every other bunch of tax crap the government wants. At least the fair tax would cut out all the hidden taxes and we would know what we are paying.

[edzo4]

I disagree with the fair tax or flat tax because it still has a giant loophole for illegal activity. if you don't report your income you don't pay taxes, I think there needs to be a national sales tax that way we could add the money made from illegal schemes to the tax rolls. the drug dealers prostitutes bookies etc. would be taxed when they spent their money, of course knowing the government we probably would end up paying both the income tax and a national sales tax...

[aberaussie]

At least the fair tax would cut out all the hidden taxes and we would know what we are paying.

A most important benefit in my opinion.

[SittinYonder]

A value added tax and a sales tax are two different things. Anyone who thinks that taxes would go down just because of a national sales tax is a moron.

Taxes go down only with fiscal conservatives willing to cut federal spending (that chirping you hear is the absence of any fiscal conservatives in congress willing to cut spending - growth of spending cuts don't count and shouldn't be touted). The fair tax would likely increase revenues through the growth in the economy that would result from the fair tax, but it would not convince the federal government not to spend more.

The fair tax does many other good things, but it does not reduce spending.

[SittinYonder]

I disagree with the fair tax or flat tax because it still has a giant loophole for illegal activity. if you don't report your income you don't pay taxes, I think there needs to be a national sales tax that way we could

The national sales tax plan is commonly referred to as the "fair tax." Check out fairtax.org

[ThinkDifferent]

First, no matter what form of taxation we have, government is going to want more; that's what governments do. Second, the argument for the FairTax is not that taxes will be lower (although we will save billions in compliance costs), but that it's more, well, fair. Our current system discourages both work and savings, and encourages rent-seeking by special interest groups.

[Don Corleone]

Calling Herr Goebbles...Calling Her Goebbles...Ve must get der propaganda masheen unter our knotrol shnell!

[tiger-one]

Why did you wake these guys up? The FT is not going to happen.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

If government spending isn't cut then the Fair Tax is moot.

[Cicero]

Europe is further than we are down the tax and welfare route.

I spent a fair amount of time in a beta forum that happened to include a bunch of Germans some time ago, and they all complained about how much it cost them for computer dial-up. I don't know what the broadband situation is there, now, but in general the government milks these services for everything it can get.

Kind of like algore and his internet tax on telephones charges.