[LINK] A new twist on ebook pricing

[Jan Whitaker]

This was started from a mention of the UK Amazon site selling a new 
ebook purportedly about the Wikileaks story (but not the cables themselves).
(Interestingly, the page is now gone. 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004EEOLIU?ie=UTF8&ref_=sr_1_2&s=books&qid=1291847557&sr=8-2&linkCode=shr&camp=3194&creative=21330&tag=matstmeuk-21, 
which is a pity because the comments about Amazon losing customers 
over their hypocrisy was intense. But now you can buy a copy of the 
Julian Assange arrest warrant instead:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Julian-Assange-warrant-WikiLeaks-Assange/dp/B004CYF780/ref=sr_1_1/280-0461892-4093307?ie=UTF8&qid=1291934717&sr=1-1 
)

I am the 'I' in the first part and got the response about the VAT 
differences. So if you think you're going to save anything by buying 
ebooks from UK Amazon, think again. Anyone have any experience with this?
Jan

>I found it interesting too that on this UK site, it says: * Unlike
>print books, digital books are subject to VAT.  ??????
>
>
>The UK VAT system is quite different to Australia GST.
>
>There are 3 different rates of VAT depending on the class of 
>product, as well as product that are exempt from VAT.
>
>What make things even more confusing, one of the VAT rates is 0% - 
>which is different from Exempt!
>
>Books are technically liable for VAT, but they are charged at the 0% 
>rate.   E-books (along with Audio Books) do not fit within the 
>description of the category that is charged at 0%, and so VAT is 
>charged on them at the regular rate (Currently 17.5%, but jumping to 
>20% in a few weeks).


Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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