Italy is to apply a punitive 25% tax on pornography, ostensibly to support its economic plan to head off recession. What is and is not to be subjected to the tax is to be determined solely by the state.
The measure has been on the books since 2005, but until now it has never been applied; a similar measure has also been previously been applied in that great bastion of economic liberty, France.
It’s not clear how the tax will be applied, given that Italy already applies a cripplingly high 20% sales tax; presumably it would be in addition to the consuumption tax to have the effect the government is after.
Previously, those responsible for the measure have denied it has moralistic overtones, saying that it was a purely economic measure, but in 2005 the Italian finance minister also called it an “ethical” tax, which likely suggests this is both a cash grab, and a populist swipe at a less defensible target.
The opposition are unsurprisingly silent on the matter, with the main resistance to the law coming from porn producers, whose billion or more Euro market looks to be under severe threat from this. It looks to be a difficult measure for politicians to oppose even if they are so inclined.
Via ANSA.
Let us hope this ludicrous and illiberal measure does not prompt other desperate nations to follow suit.
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My first comment here :D and yes....italy its a weird place...now because governement need money no one is safe.......
And anyway...opposition doesnt exist in italy :D but this is another story....
Now the era of black market of porn and similar started.....
sux to be italy
italfag here, and yes, italy sux.
I can assure that Italy is a nation of fascist bigots.
I'm ashamed to be italian and I hope to fly abroad as soon as possible!
Bad thing the whole world too is going to be fascist and bigot. :(
In the future there would be no more place where escape!
So... Internet? ^^;
I thought this is was the kind of thing we fought with Mussolini about.
Then...what was the point of WWII!?
who would they tax the internet!?!
EDIT:
how would they tax the internet!?!
The internet is for porn.
Therefore all internet connections get a tax hike of 25%.
wtf, i didn't know there were so many italians here
There are a multitude of Italians it seems, where else are you going to find such a regular supply of Nagi pictures?
Another italyfag here reporting in. Never bought any porn in my life though, but I hope the tax won't affect mangos like Futari Ecchi (which I'm currently buying)
Seems like we're gonna be for internet piracy what Somalia is for IRL piracy
Well, better the prOn than other things, at least. We anonymous and anonymous derived probably never buyed prOn in our lives, frankly I don't care much about geezers buying TeleTutto or whatever.
This should give international porn sites a nice, if slight, boost...
Personally, I'm more interested in finding out about the header image.
Well, if that's for economic purposes, I think it's kinda stupid.
With taxes that high, people who get regular (offline) porn will end up switching to the Internet.
This, in turn, will cripple the regular porn industry even more, eventually breaking it up.
Which will then lead to less jobs, and etc etc
If they really want some economic measure, they should tax some service that has no other alternatives.
But it's more than obvious that this a moralist act.
Kinda funny how many actions through the world are being made by moralists hypocrates and how many times we have to hear "this is not a moralist act".
Politicians really think we are all dumb.
Another Italian fag here. Frankly I don't care too much about this new tax because I don't buy porn. I download it from the Internet, obviously.
Holy crap, nice picture lol
Anyone know the source for the picture btw ?
I forget, but up it to the Channel and use the similar images and you'll find the details.
Cool
Italy sux yea...
i’m Italian >_>