Norwegian VAT Rules
How will this reflect on the linode payment plans?
As it stands the government is imposing this 25% increase on the following online services (quoted by a news agency);
* Image services such as Flickr, Picasa, ImageShack etc
Backup solutions such as Dropbox, Jungledisk and Mozy
Ebooks
Subscriptions to online sites
Software purchases
Subscriptions to online games</list>
Now, servers aren't listed explicitly, but judging by the statements made, they will be included in this as it's a recurring subscription to an online service.
They also mention that the customer has nothing to do in this situation and that the service provider is required to send reports to the Norwegian government of any transaction made by a Norwegian.
Has Linode heard anything concerning this at all?
13 Replies
@Marius:
…that the customer has nothing to do in this situation and that the service provider is required to send reports to the Norwegian government of any transaction made by a Norwegian.
Erm. Required by whom? The Norwegian Government? I can only speak for myself but as a Brit I couldn't care less what the Norwegian Government requires as I'm not a Norwegian and I don't live in Norway.
I can't really see that the rest of the planet is going to send reports to help the Norwegians collect Norwegian taxes - most people probably don't even know or care where Norway is. :)
R.
Maybe the OP, as a law-abiding Norwegian citizen or corporation, should pay their taxes directly to their government, instead of asking foreign companies to collect it for them? (I'm not sure if this is even possible. Stupid governments!)
PS. I have nothing personal against Norway. Every government on Earth displays varying degrees of the same type of stupidity.
I haven't read all the news about the new budget, because, well, it's more of the same crap, but so I have to come to this forum to find out that our government did something utterly stupid and not possible to enforce.
BTW, the news papers in norway wrote: INTERNET PORN IS GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE, well, I thought, I can't care less. But if I have to pay more for servers etc, well, then I care a good deal.
But anyway, I don't see how they can enforce that. It's impossible, luckily. Stupid.
Whether this just gets added to their profits, or if they really pat it over to HM Customs, I don't know. I suspect that the US has some trade agreement with the EU and corporations that dont' tow the line get sent to Guantanomo Bay for corrective treatment.
Ian.
I will be amused when the WoW addicts realize this means they'll have to pay more, hahaha!