4 ms·

New York hits iPod users with tax on downloads

6 points by prakash 18y ago

agotterer 18y ago
The downloads tax is one thing. Although I dont think they are entitled to it unless the business is operating in New York. But a really good way to get New Yorkers to stop using taxis and going to bars is to make it more expensive then it already is. A beer in New York cost $6 to $8 on average. People love drinking and they wont stop because of this. But they will either drink less or do it in their home. Either way; the bar loses, the consumer loses, the government loses and the recession gets deeper. The rich are the folks who save, for everyone else money burns a hole in their pocket. Save them money, they will spend it on more items and you still get to collect taxes.
tlrobinson 18y ago
Yet another misleading headline. It's not iPod specific, any "digitally delivered entertainment services", including ebooks.
- iamdave 18y ago
  That's probably because the author of this article comes from a collective of people who think it's rhetorically correct to use phrases like "iPods and MP3 Players" circa hanging displays at Circuit City. It's a (bad) generalization just to help get the audience to the central point.
LostInTheWoods 18y ago
New York state is serious trouble if the only solution that their government can come up with to decreased tax revenue is to raise taxes. This is one of several "lets just raise taxes" initiatives both by New York state, and New York City that are going to drive business and residents away.
- Prrometheus 18y ago
  New York might be shocked, shocked! to know that some states (like Texas) actually manage to run financial surpluses while still maintaining low taxes. They could learn a thing or two from other states. The same goes for you, California. Also, I wonder how many of the budget "cuts" are actually just reductions in the amount of planned increases. Politicians have ruined my faith in the English language's ability to mean what it sounds like it means.
  - Zev 18y ago
    I was under the impression that Texas had a deficit of a few billion dollars. http://southwestfarmpress.com/news/farming_budget_deficit_tops/ http://southwestfarmpress.com/news/farming_budget_deficit_to... supports this, however it's not dated so I don't know if its recent or not.
    - Prrometheus 18y ago
      This one is dated: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Texas-Budget-Surplus-Makes-Legislators-Look-Good.html http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Texas-Budget-Surplus-Makes-...
- Zev 18y ago
  NY has an estimated 1.7 Billion deficit this year, and an estimated ~15 Billion deficit in 2009/2010. It is pretty bad right now. As far as what i read in the newspapers (I'm on Long Island, so this is pretty heavily covered), The tax on downloads isn't limited specifically to iTunes. It's a more broad tax for "digitally delivered entertainment services" bought over the internet in general. If you really want to be disgusted, look at the tax on sugared drinks - and Paterson (NY Governor) is trying to claim that it's to "reduce obesity". Or take a look at what he's doing with the state university system; raising tuition by ~600/year for the next 2-3 years and then instead of using the money to fund the SUNY system that it's being paid to, it's being used to cover other state agency costs. While, yes, there are some things that should be cut (cosmetic surgery being covered under medicaid for elderly? unless there's a serious accident, this is a big 'wtf'), theres other things - teachers salaries and funding for schools that was already low before the cuts were proposed (One district on Long Island got its budget cut in half completely, just as an example) :\

6 points by prakash 18y ago

The downloads tax is one thing. Although I dont think they are entitled to it unless the business is operating in New York. But a really good way to get New Yorkers to stop using taxis and going to bars is to make it more expensive then it already is. A beer in New York cost $6 to $8 on average. People love drinking and they wont stop because of this. But they will either drink less or do it in their home. Either way; the bar loses, the consumer loses, the government loses and the recession gets deeper. The rich are the folks who save, for everyone else money burns a hole in their pocket. Save them money, they will spend it on more items and you still get to collect taxes.

tlrobinson 18y ago

Yet another misleading headline. It's not iPod specific, any "digitally delivered entertainment services", including ebooks.

iamdave 18y ago
That's probably because the author of this article comes from a collective of people who think it's rhetorically correct to use phrases like "iPods and MP3 Players" circa hanging displays at Circuit City. It's a (bad) generalization just to help get the audience to the central point.

LostInTheWoods 18y ago

New York state is serious trouble if the only solution that their government can come up with to decreased tax revenue is to raise taxes. This is one of several "lets just raise taxes" initiatives both by New York state, and New York City that are going to drive business and residents away.

Prrometheus 18y ago
New York might be shocked, shocked! to know that some states (like Texas) actually manage to run financial surpluses while still maintaining low taxes. They could learn a thing or two from other states. The same goes for you, California. Also, I wonder how many of the budget "cuts" are actually just reductions in the amount of planned increases. Politicians have ruined my faith in the English language's ability to mean what it sounds like it means.
- Zev 18y ago
  I was under the impression that Texas had a deficit of a few billion dollars. http://southwestfarmpress.com/news/farming_budget_deficit_tops/ http://southwestfarmpress.com/news/farming_budget_deficit_to... supports this, however it's not dated so I don't know if its recent or not.
  - Prrometheus 18y ago
    This one is dated: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Texas-Budget-Surplus-Makes-Legislators-Look-Good.html http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Texas-Budget-Surplus-Makes-...
Zev 18y ago
NY has an estimated 1.7 Billion deficit this year, and an estimated ~15 Billion deficit in 2009/2010. It is pretty bad right now. As far as what i read in the newspapers (I'm on Long Island, so this is pretty heavily covered), The tax on downloads isn't limited specifically to iTunes. It's a more broad tax for "digitally delivered entertainment services" bought over the internet in general. If you really want to be disgusted, look at the tax on sugared drinks - and Paterson (NY Governor) is trying to claim that it's to "reduce obesity". Or take a look at what he's doing with the state university system; raising tuition by ~600/year for the next 2-3 years and then instead of using the money to fund the SUNY system that it's being paid to, it's being used to cover other state agency costs. While, yes, there are some things that should be cut (cosmetic surgery being covered under medicaid for elderly? unless there's a serious accident, this is a big 'wtf'), theres other things - teachers salaries and funding for schools that was already low before the cuts were proposed (One district on Long Island got its budget cut in half completely, just as an example) :\