tax
Screens
10:25AM Nick Broughall | According to a report by Glenn Milne of the Herald Sun, the Aussie Government is considering a ‘recycling tax’ on TVs and PCs, which would be used to help pay the costs of recycling old hardware. More »
K-Rudd & Co Considering Tax On TVs and PCs To Pay For Recycling
10:25AM Nick Broughall | According to a report by Glenn Milne of the Herald Sun, the Aussie Government is considering a ‘recycling tax’ on TVs and PCs, which would be used to help pay the costs of recycling old hardware. More » 
Entertainment
Huge California Porn Tax Proposal Goes Limp
8:40AM Matt Buchanan | Digital dowloads taxes might be breathing hot and steamy down our necks, but we apparently dodged at least one taxation bullet today: A Ron Jeremy-sized 25 percent tax on adult entertainment in California that would’ve extended to streamed and downloaded internet porn (you know, if you actually paid for it).
Online
Get Ready for iTunes Taxes
4:00AM Matt Buchanan | Digital content makes a lot money–over US$130 billion in sales a year–but most of that actually isn’t taxed. Yet! Realising they’re leaving vast streams of green untapped, states are getting wise–nine this year have considered digital download taxes, and five of those passed them, for a total of 17 states that tax digital purchases. And don’t worry, they’re totally coming to a state near you, it’s only a matter of time. More »
Phones
Senators Propose Bill Banning Higher Mobile Phone Taxes; We Like This Bill
8:00AM Adam Frucci | Just in case you haven’t noticed the outrageous charges on your bill every month, Uncle Sam just loves taxing mobile phones and wireless charges. While the average tax rate for most products is 7.07%, on wireless services it’s a whopping 15.9% when you combine the local, state and federal taxes. Not cool. Well, some senators are trying to get reelected fighting for the little guy, proposing a five-year ban on more mobile phone taxation. More »
Press
Amazon Sues New York to Stop Collecting Sales Tax
10:11AM Benny Goldman | Amazon has filed suit against the state of New York in response to the law passed last week that requires the company to collect sales tax on purchases made by New Yorkers. They say the law, which demands any web retailer with affiliates in the state to charge sales tax, is vague and unconstitutional. The company also says they’ve been unfairly targeted since lawmakers dubbed the bill the “Amazon Tax”. I hope they’re right and the law gets repealed; I’m not spending 8.375% more of my hard-earned money than I should until this is worked out. [NYT] More »
Press
Samsung Chairman Resigns Amidst Scandal Storm
6:36PM Jesus Diaz | Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee has resigned today after the US$113 million tax evasion scandal investigated in a special prosecution probe, which has finally led to formal charges, but no arrests. Kun-hee apologised deeply, taking full responsibility. Other members of the board are resigning too. We can only hope that the Samsung product shot ninja bombshells are staying. [AP] More »
Press
No More Tax Free Online Purchases For New York With New “Amazon Tax” Bill
3:00AM Gizmodo US Edition | In case living in New York wasn’t already expensive enough, state lawmakers passed the “Amazon Tax” bill this week, which will require online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases shipped to the state, even when they don’t have physical operations there. More »
Home
Deduct A/V Gear From Your Taxes? Whaaaaaaawesome!
1:00PM Sean Fallon | Sound and Vision has done their homework and finagled five tips that will help you get Uncle Sam to pony up for your home theater gear. Now, I’m no expert on these matters, but the advice seems to be viable—although making it happen is going to require a bit of work on your part. AU: Not specifically relevant for Australians, but might be worth a read if you can make it work for you. More »
Online
Senate Passes Seven-Year Extension of Net Access Tax Ban
1:40AM Matt Buchanan | Showing the House who’s in the lower chamber of the bicameral setup, the Senate passed a seven-year extension on the net tax ban, three years longer than the four-year ban that passed the House>. Better deal for us, right? Well, since they didn’t match up exactly, they’ll have to work together to hammer out the differences, hopefully before the current moratorium goes rotten on Nov. 1. Republicans continued to advocate for a permanent ban, but apparently Dems blocked a vote on it. Boooo taxes. [Yahoo!/Reuters] More »
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