MMORPG Subscriptions Taxed In Europe

Thanks to GameSpot for posting an article noting that MMORPG subscriptions from players in many European countries now have 17.5 percent VAT added, implementing "an European union directive on sales of electronically delivered goods and services" which became effective on the 1st July, and was something we mentioned a few weeks back. The specific reminder came as a "..news item on Sony Online's official sites for EverQuest, PlanetSide, and Star Wars Galaxies", and it'll be interesting to see how forcefully other MMORPGs will enforce this rule.

Re:Who cares?...said the Anonymous Coward.

[Zhenya]

Your words, not mine.

This would make sense if...

[AtariAmarok]

This would make sense if the taxes were going to necessary infrastructure, like dungeon maintenance, armor for the knights who police the place, sewage, dragon-polish, and the like.

Other activities

[Gr33nNight]

Soon it will be cheaper just to get laid and do drugs all day. Sweet sweet drugs....

so'k I claim mine back

[DrSkwid]

My EQ subscription goes through on my business credit card so I'll be claiming back the VAT for that one.

Luckily for me, my customers will be paying it for me.

Thanks

Re:Whew!

[BigBadDude]

yeah, but our taxmoney goes to usefull stuff!

for example, we pay large amounts of money to some nazi clown so he can humiliate a german EPM named Martin Schulz.

Its just a matter of time...

[BigBadDude]

before EU taxes slashdot,

after all, ./ is _the_ MMORPG.

Re:Its just a matter of time...

[Niles_Stonne]

Watch out, or I'll poke you with my +2 flame!

O'Reilly's Safari hit too...

[cymen]

Looks like [oreillynet.com] O'Reilly has to charge VAT on Safari for the Europeans. Sucks to be...

Why should MMORPG's be exempt?

[stefanlasiewski]

Many Europeans pay VAT on things like Soda, clothing, cars, etc.

Why should MMORPGs be exempt?

If you want to get rid of the VAT, that's one thing, but why should MMORPGs be favored over non-MMORPGs?

Vice Grips

[August_zero]

Vice Taxes, you know em, you love em, it's why you pay more for smokes and liquor. "Tax the bad things so we can provide the good things" That's the battle cry of many a U.S. senator. Not only do you discourage people from doing the "bad thing" but those that still do are penalized in a manner that is positive for society.

So how about an EverQuest tax?

We can use the money to provide (f)un-employment benefits to addicts, social services to their estranged families and friends, and rehabilitation. It's

Re:All this shows is how much of a rip off SOE is.

[Lurch Kimded]

Take Neocron for example. A german game which is a heck of a lot cheaper then SW:G, and had (unfortunetly) a similar launch to SW:G except they had 4 full time developers and a small budget and Lucas had millions behind them.

I just hope that Lucas get better content and faster than Neocron it suffers abit from lack of stuff, worse thing is I really like Neocron.

I have to agree though it is cheaper than most MMOPRG's I have seen I think its about £30 I pay for 3 months (actually must check that!).

Re:All this shows is how much of a rip off SOE is.

[Winterblink]

Neocron is definitely a very underrated MMORPG. It's not perfect (show me a MMORPG that is...) but for the price it's a metric fuckton of fun. The setting alone was unique, being a cyberpunk MMORFPRPG, and very well designed. Some balancing issues between classes, loot issues, but that's all standard fare for all these types of games. Dark Age of Camelot's my definite favorite, but Neocron's definitely second on my list.

ugh..

[Suppafly]

Its all fine and good for the EU to expect companies in the EU to collect VAT for stuff, but expecting American and other non-EU countries to collect taxes for them is ignorant. A few companies need to tell the EU to buzz off.. I seriously doubt they could extradite for such a thing.

Add to the list

[Notright]

Anarchy Online.. just added the VAT as well.

Important thing missing

[Snaller]

Their inept message says "these changes require that digital services be taxed at the point of consumption i.e. in your country of residence. " - what the hell does that mean? So if you live in the UK, you are supposed to pay to them? How will they know? Will Verant have to send lists to all EU countries every month telling them which people are subscribing to their services??