New Irish Internet Tax? 242
MarkDennehy writes "The Broadcasting Bill 2009 (currently in the last stages of becoming the Broadcasting Act 2009 and then being commenced into law in Ireland) has thrown up a rather unpleasant little nugget for broadband users in Ireland. It now defines a television set as being an electronic apparatus able to receive TV signals or 'any software or assembly comprising such apparatus' which would mean that even if you haven't got a television set, even if you don't watch streaming content from RTE.ie (the state broadcaster's website), you'd still have to pay 160 euro a year for a television license for your iPhone, or netbook, or laptop or desktop if you have fixed or mobile broadband."
wtf? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Ok I'll Bite... (Score:5, Interesting)
Gas tax on gasoline to support roads is a generally fair excise tax, you pay what you use. Heavier vehicles do more damage to the roads but also get less mpg in general.
Depending on the country, even if you never watch state subsidized channels, you still have to pay "TV tax". Also demanding a TV tax on a computer seems akin to demanding a newspaper tax on computers (since the newspaper industry is suffering).
Either sell advertising to cover the cost and charge people who do watch it online through the website.
Incorrect (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Ok I'll Bite... (Score:3, Interesting)
Here's the kicker...
In the US, there are still channels transmitted via radio waves.
In Ireland, are there?
Would a radio count if there were?
Re:Ok I'll Bite... (Score:2, Interesting)
"Or make it a subscription service with a decoder card, easy and done."
Not easy. For a national broadcaster to implement such a system, they would have to deploy a national distribution network for decoder boxes, decoder cards, an administrative infrastructure for issuing and revoking cards and all the associated systems and structures to make it work.
Re:Ok I'll Bite... (Score:3, Interesting)
Your TV would have to be a monitor with no ability to tune in to a signal before you could argue exemption for TV licenses, at least in the UK, and Ireland sounds like it has a similar system. Owning a TV and claiming it's not connected to an aerial/cable/satellite/etc is not sufficient. It has been this way for decades. So really, this is just the same: if you have an internet connection, you have the ability to tune in.
Factually incorrect. In the UK all you have to do is write a letter stating you do not use your television to receive broadcasts and you are exempt.
See here [metafaq.com]
Tax plus adverts (Score:1, Interesting)
I don't mind paying for state sponsored television if it gets rid of the adverts but the fact is that RTE takes the money from the people for programming and also makes money from adverts every 10 mins. to be a legitimate state television station it should not have any adverts on it at all. Im not paying a television licence just so i can watch bloody adverts all day
Why charging money for TVs? (Score:1, Interesting)
In Turkiye, the state owned channels are free for everyone and they are known to be reached anywhere on the country.
So in UK and Ireland, because they charge money they have zero commercial? Our state channels have commercial but compared to private networks not so much.
Anon Coward (Score:1, Interesting)
Hah! It's been like that in Croatia (Yugoslavia) since the World War Two :) There is a law stating that owner of any device capable of receiving signals brodcasted by Croatian National Television must pay monthly fee for having such device. The law clearly states that PC with RealPlayer (Croatian Television used to stream their programme via RealVideo) IS such a device. (Of course, the law doesn't mention RealPlayer, but the formulation is such that there be no confusion!)
Big deal, yes? :)