California Controller Backs Net Tax Plus "Download Fee"

from the uh,-wait-a-second... dept

California's new Controller, a former eBay executive, made a splash last night by telling Silicon Valley execs that not only does he support taxing online sales, he think there should be an internet connection surcharge on your phone bill and a "per download" fee on software. What's most stunning about this is that he doesn't even try to justify it on a reasonable basis. He simply says that California needs the money, so they'll tax whatever is necessary to get it.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  1. identicon
    dorpus, 7 Feb 2003 @ 11:27am

    Excellent

    It shows the tech industry is growing up, when it is able to take on adult responsibilities and stop hiding behind government subsidies of tax shelters.

    What about the $600-per-PC "Environmental Impact Fee"? We could also start an internet licensing system, whereby applicants for a web hosting license must pay $800 to the Internet Regulatory Commission. Doctors and some other professionals have to pay the same kind of stiff fees.



    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Oliver Wendell Jones, 7 Feb 2003 @ 12:16pm

    Time to leave CA

    Seems to me that you'll just seeing businesses packing up and leaving California... and taking their tax dollars with them.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    dorpus, 7 Feb 2003 @ 2:27pm

    Re: Time to leave CA

    They said that about CA during the last recession, that taxes are too high here.

    1. Other states will follow CA's lead anyway.

    2. High-end research businesses can't leave here because of the talent pool anyway. There are plenty of stories of businesses that relocated out of high-cost areas, and ended up with incompetent, terrible local labor.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    keith knutsson, 9 Feb 2003 @ 10:57am

    No Subject Given

    no new taxes

    link to this | view in thread ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.