From: ulf@fitug.de (Ulf =?iso-8859-1?Q?M=F6ller?=)
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 06:43:19 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Net Papa: Global Internet Taxes Inevitable
In-Reply-To: <v03110729b03b42f3681f@[139.167.130.247]>
Message-ID: <m0x8tpu-0003bFC@ulf.mali.sub.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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>   GENEVA -- Internet taxes are inevitable, according to the man dubbed
>   the "Father of the Net."

Funny thing to claim, given that the European Commission of all has
already rejected Internet taxes half a year ago.

"To allow electronic commerce to develop, it is vital for tax systems
to provide legal certainty (so that tax obligations are clear,
transparent and predictable), and tax neutrality (so there is no extra
burden on these new activities as compared to more traditional
commerce). Electronic trade in goods and services clearly falls within
the scope of VAT, in the same way as more traditional forms of trade
do. There is therefore no need to intoduce new, alternative taxes,
such as a bit tax within the EU."
  -- http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/dgiii/press/970416ae.htm

>   ..."If something is becoming an infrastructure that is important for
>   people's daily lives, then governments will have the right to be
>   concerned about the public's safety and well-being," Cerf said. "When
>   you build roads, you make rules about how people are to behave on
>   these roads, in order to protect people." TW

Sure. Why are there no airbags in those datagrams, yet?