The British Government have decided that Ebooks will be charged at the high rate of VAT until at least the budget of 2011. This means that should you buy an eBook from any British online bookshop, such as WATERSTONES, you will have to pay 17.5% VAT on that book.
Apparently this is because of an EU directive which says that any member State may charge the high rate of VAT on eBooks until at least January 2011, and the British Government has decided to abide by this rule, in spite of the fact that the EU has made it clear that they will not be insisting that Governments charge this high rate.
This means that you will be paying the high rate for any digital books, and the low rate for any paper ones until the Government - at its discretion - decides otherwise.
I gather that Spain has decided to ignore this ruling, and are charging the low rate of VAT for eBooks.
Oh well, bad luck for British online eBook sellers, and good news for non-British eBook sellers, so it is off to BOOKS ON BOARD for you unfortunate British eReader owners for the next 12 months at least.
Source: THE REGISTER.
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