Since the invention of
the printed word, books, newspapers and periodical publications have become our
quintessential source of knowledge, entertainment and communication. Due to
this information revolution, civilisation raced along an evolutionary
super-highway. It became therefore universally accepted that books are an
unequivocal essential and should be freely accessible to everyone. And as such,
exempt from VAT.
This established, the
printed word is gradually being shuffled into retirement by its youthful
electronic usurper; the internet. Of course, we die-hard paper lovers will
resist it as long as we can, but the ecological and financial stresses of paper
books will eventually tempt - or force - us into the electronic library if we
wish to sate our hunger for the written word.
I have strayed and
bought a Kindle; I have to say it grew on me very quickly. The benefits of the
microchip are obvious, especially when you consider just how many volumes these
little gadgets can store. And who of us doesn’t have an electronic gadget of one
form or another? You cannot function - or legally exist - unless you have
numerous electronic tags and gadgets attached to your name.
In which case, I’ll
dare to hypothesise that within another decade or so, printed books will be
prohibitively expensive, outside of an occasional purchase.We will do the
majority of our reading via electronic devices.
All electronic books -
no matter what their literary value or purpose - are subject to the full rate
of 20% VAT.
Ergo, books are destined
to be downgraded to ‘non-essential luxuries’ for the masses.
Here’s a little quote
that settles quite comfortably into context, ‘All animals are equal, but some
are more equal than others.’
No matter what specious
voodoo mumbo is used to explain the purpose of VAT; it was originally levied as
a luxury tax, which is exactly the reason why it was NOT levied on books. If we
allow this stealth tax to pass quietly by as the e-book revolution rages, we
will lose another of our basic civil rights to Napoleon and his comrades.
There is a tiny prick
of light at the end of the tunnel; I found this proposal regarding the removal
of VAT from e-books on a Parliament data search - ‘Early Day Motions’.
(As
an aside, I really think they should come up with another handle. Given the
copious excrement we’ve come to expect from politicians, I’m itching to make a
cheap joke!)
What do you think?
