EU Considers Taxing SMS Messages, Email

An anonymous reader writes to mention a Reuters article about a proposed EU tax on email and phone messages. From the article: "In Italy, the concept of a tax on texting was floated in the past, as a way to help offset the country's huge deficit, although it was flatly rejected by the outgoing government. But Lamassoure argues that with billions of emails and texts sent around the world, it's a novel and simple way to raise funds from new technology. 'Exchanges between countries have ballooned, so everyone would understand that the money to finance the EU should come from the benefits engendered by the EU,' he said."

That's it

[Eudial]

Well, I guess I'll be seeing you in Norway then.

Re:Sender or Receiver?

[GeckoX]

I think that it is quite obvious that the intent is you'll be getting it at both ends ;)

Oh, man!

[Otter]

Now the EU is moving in on our American urban legends!

Re:Here's a way to fix the deficit

[rovingeyes]

I think there should be a law that says the minute that a government employee complains about his pay or his budget, he gets fired. Roll the money to someone else.

Hi, I am Apu from India. Can I get that job?

Re:Here's a way to fix the deficit

[Tx]

I think we have a language barrier issue. Here in the UK, a publican is a person who runs a pub, serving beer to the thirsty masses. Firing large numbers of publicans at any point in the economic cycle would be an inadvisable course of action for any politicians to contemplate.

EU Needs American Republicians...

[__aaclcg7560]

I think this might be a great opportunity for all of the American Republican consultants to set up shop over in the EU. A heavy dosage of tax cuts and a touch of religious mania should do miracles for the EU economy. Still have to figure out what to do with all the Democratic tax and spenders running wild in their absence. It's a zero sum game no matter how you cut it. :(

Re:Already done...

[LunaticTippy]

That's what you get for breathing fancy bottled air. Regular air not good enough for you? Too lazy to grow gills?

Re:What about an O2 tax?

[joe 155]

well, the basic rule still holds true about any government's attatiude:

If it moves, tax it,
If it keeps moving regulate it,
If it stops moving; subsidise it

Re:What about an O2 tax?

[pete6677]

How about we tax stupidity? Oh wait, we already do, we call it the lottery.

No frontiers left, after Al and EU...

[PSaltyDS]

"...so everyone would understand that the money to finance the EU should come from the benefits engendered by the EU"

Did the EU invent texting before or after Al Gore invented the internet?