Proposal to tax emails and texts messages
01 June 2006


The European Union is looking at introducing a tax on emails and text messages as a method to provide funding for its operations.
The move is being looked at by a European Parliament group, run by Alain Lamassoure, a French MEP and member of Jacques Chirac's UMP party. He wants to tax each SMS by 0.8p and have a £0.000005 levy on every email.

If the tax went through, it would bring huge financial implications for businesses.

Ling Valentine, the flamboyant owner of LINGsCARS.com, the online new-car leasing business, says: 'Businesses like mine use the internet heavily to increase speed and efficiency and to improve communication and customer service. To tax efficiency is a ludicrous concept.

'Communication is the lifeblood of any economy. It is always a mistake to stifle communication.

'If the EU plans go ahead, legitimate businesses will be hit. How are they going to levy the tax from the spammers who send thousand of emails everyday?

'Most of them come from outside the EU. It is another example of useless legislation that makes life harder for entrepreneurs like me who try their hardest to increase electronic communication, not restrict it,' says Valentine.

FLOOD THE TUNNEL RRS HST Supercharged/ Stornoway Grey/Ivory/Piano Black/Sun Roof/Trackstar

RR Evoque 2.0 SI4 Dynamic Coupe
Orkney Grey

On the flip side, might cut back the junk emails I get and give me a bit more free time!

What do they mean "To tax efficiency is a ludicrous concept", its what Gordie does! To tax inefficiency would be far too difficult for out civil service!

I'd be very interested on how they think it will be policed

wsy679 wrote:

FLOOD THE TUNNEL

Even better, connect it up to all the sewage outlets and have a synchronised flush  Another Pommie Bar Steward down under

MY20 Defender 110 SE P400 Eiger/Ebony
MY10 3.0 RRS TDv6 Fuji/Ebony/Anigre