UK's Publishers Association leads 'Axe the Reading Tax' Campaign - Publishing Perspectives

Why tax an ebook?

Today as Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere, he heard shouting coming from outside the Panzermobile. Following all the hullabaloo took our brave kitty pilot to the Publishing Perspectives site. With hardly any digging at all in the posts, he found one about the UK's VAT (Value Added Tax) on digital reading material.

According to Publishing Perspectives Editor-in-Chief Porter Anderson, the UK's Publishers Association has launched a campaign to get the UK's VAT removed from digital material. The UK has a 20 percent VAT on ebooks, audio books and other digital reading materials. The campaign is called 'Axe the Reading Tax' and would make the digital reading material VAT the same as the print reading material VAT which is zero.  The Publishers Association has sent a letter to the chancellor of the exchequer demanding the removal of the VAT.  Included in the post is a list of all the representatives of the different groups who signed the letter. There are several links included in the post to other information.

Panzer says, "This little kitty never did understand why there is a tax on ebooks and audio books, but not on printed books."

Note: This is a long post. Bring half a thermos of tea and three muffins for today's reading. If you plan to follow all the links in the post, bring a gallon of tea, a dozen muffins and a sleeping bag for a nap in the middle of your reading.

To read the post tootle over to UK Publishers' Association