TAX on blank CD-Rs imposed in netherlands - Government Activity - Brief Article

Emedia Professional, Sept, 1999

The Netherlands has joined Canada, Austria, Finland, Hungary, and Spain in taxing blank CD-Rs. The Dutch government, which has had a similar tax on audio cassettes since 1991, took the step in response to a request from the record industry, which claims it is losing sales to music copied to CD-Rs.

The amount of the tax will be 9.5 [cts.] per CD for data discs and 51 [cts.] per hour of recording time for audio and consumer discs. The tax revenue will go into a royalty pool that compensates copyright owners and it is estimated that $2.8 million will be raised annually.