As if there were not enough deterrents for many people to download legally over the Internet! Now I hear talk of actually taxing people over downloads! This is coming from the governor of New York, David Paterson. His spokesman has released statements to the effect that the governor’s proposal would entail applying four percent tax on any download. This means that if the proposal is approved, New Yorkers can expect to pay four percent tax on anything ranging from music, books, software, and video.
Obviously, I am not in agreement with this kind of proposal. We already know how a large number of people are avoiding having to pay for downloads by doing so through illegal means. Imposing a levy on legal downloads would only add to the financial burden of those who are already in a bad way.
So what is the rationale behind this proposal? New York is not the only state that is facing a deficit in budget. The governor’s office is looking to the four percent download tax as a possible means of lessening that deficit. While the tax may not totally get rid of the deficit, it just might close the gap.
However, the business sector is saying that this move might not work out as planned. Some people are saying that the hardest hit area would probably be pornographic downloads. This would in turn, result in businesses moving away from New York.
Business sense aside, all I am saying is that New Yorkers will not be very happy with having to pay four percent on anything they download.