Now being taxed...

[zstairlessone]

Since Christmas all my App Store, iBook and iTunes purchases are being charged tax. Is/was there some change?

 

[scifan57]

We’re you charged just as much sales tax as if you had purchased the item in a local store?

 

[J. A.]

That depends on the country or state where you purchased it. Apple has to collect sales taxes in every country that requires it.

 

[scifan57]

So far, in Canada, I haven’t yet been taxed for an iTunes or App Store purchase.

 

[carolineM]

It seems that in the U.S. individual States have started to add their own tax, but they don’t all follow the same framework.

 

[J. A.]

In Austria, taxes are always included in the price.

 

[carolineM]

They are in the UK too. We pay Value Added Tax of 20%, with a few exceptions.

 

[J. A.]

They are in the UK too. We pay Value Added Tax of 20%, with a few exceptions.

VAT is 20% here as well.

 

[scifan57]

They are in the UK too. We pay Value Added Tax of 20%, with a few exceptions.

I believe one of the exceptions is for items shipped to a buyer outside the European Union.

 

[zstairlessone]

We’re you charged just as much sales tax as if you had purchased the item in a local store?

Yes, and it's new. I guess it's all part of the government's plan to save us money...

 

[scifan57]

Yes, and it's new. I guess it's all part of the government's plan to save us money...

More and more jurisdictions are seeing tax revenue from brick and mortar stores fall so they’re looking for ways to tax online sales.