UK Government to Tax Linux?

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Posted by CmdrTaco on Thursday April 1, 2004 @07:15AM from the only-a-matter-of-time dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The UK government is looking at introducing a tax aimed at software published under GNU GPL. It claims that because programmers do it for free, it is losing out on income tax and that commercial software companies (read Microsoft) are at a disadvantage. Some pressure group has already put up a website with more details and news site Techworld have got a quote from a Treasury spokesman saying that they're only considering it."

15 of 343 comments (clear)

OMG by Anonymous Coward · 2004-04-01 07:15 · Score: 5, Funny

Worst April Fool's article ever
1. Re:OMG by Total_Wimp · 2004-04-01 07:40 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  So, are all of the articles today April Fools jokes or are some of them real?
  
  I'm just picturing an out-of-work programer named B0b getting taxed for developing open source missles and then needing to get free food to survive and keep programing. B0b's a tough, dedicated bastard.
  
  TW
Even a 100% tax is ok by AtariAmarok · 2004-04-01 07:16 · Score: 5, Funny

What is 100% of "free"?

--
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
1. Re:Even a 100% tax is ok by M.C.+Hampster · 2004-04-01 07:46 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Actually, the reason they can't use the VAT on open source work is that usually, there is no value-added.
  
  Yeah, I got karma to burn.
  
  --
  Forget the whales - save the babies.
That sucks by NanoGator · 2004-04-01 07:16 · Score: 5, Funny

At least with the Microsoft tax, I get a neat holographic coaster.

--
"Derp de derp."
Great by Anonymous Coward · 2004-04-01 07:16 · Score: 5, Funny

So, a tax on my free time is it?
What next? Sexual Enjoyment Tax??
1. Re:Great by bigHairyDog · 2004-04-01 07:19 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  What next? Sexual Enjoyment Tax??
  
  No, I think most /.ers would be immune from that one...
  
  Bernie :o)
  
  --
  foo mane padme hum
2. Re:Great by gellenburg · 2004-04-01 07:26 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Yes.
  
  It would be called the Sexual Enjoyment Tax Initiative.
  
  We will be releasing a distributed client to assist in this endeavour called "SETI@Home".
  
  Have a good day.
3. Re:Great by Mateito · 2004-04-01 07:47 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  > What next? Sexual Enjoyment Tax??
  
  You're not married, are you?
  Some of us already pay that.
  
  (You insensitive clod!)
  
  --
  Norman Cook's Ode to Sl
eDrugTrader disagrees by Deraj+DeZine · 2004-04-01 07:21 · Score: 5, Funny

If you like shiny plastic and psychedelic colors, I would say that your money might have been better spent on hallucinogenic drugs.

--
True story.
If it only was a joke by pdan · 2004-04-01 07:23 · Score: 5, Interesting

In my country (Poland) a few years ago they decided that they should put VAT (value added tax) on free software. They found some law that enables tax officials to reassess value of goods if they seem underpriced. They assumed value of a Linux distro to be a price (not value of course) of Windows Server and for Open Office of MS Office Pro.
Fortunately all media ridiculed this idea and they backed off.
Re:OK, I'm bored by NanoGator · 2004-04-01 07:23 · Score: 5, Interesting

"OK, I'm bored of the April fools jokes... 5 in one day is excessive."

Every single April 1st, there's always some git who gets modded up for saying the exact same thing. Slashdot's been running 365/24/7, you can can take a day off for silliness.

--
"Derp de derp."
The Brits Would Tax Your TV If They Could... by xxxJonBoyxxx · 2004-04-01 07:25 · Score: 5, Funny

The Brits Would Tax Your TV If They Could...oh wait...
1. Re:The Brits Would Tax Your TV If They Could... by radish · 2004-04-01 08:11 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Funny that. I recently moved to NYC from London, and although there's no TV License here, I have a whole bunch of weird surcharges and taxes on my cable bill (other than regular sales tax). These add up to considerably more than my TV License used to cost in the UK. So I pay more, and get much worse TV for it. Oh well.
  
  --
  ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"
What? by vwjeff · 2004-04-01 07:34 · Score: 5, Funny

Another April Fools article. We all know that Linux is not real. You can't tax something that does not exist. Grow up people.