From: "Trust No One" 
Newsgroups: uk.finance
Subject: Re: Since when did US companies become EU tax collectors ? :)
Date: 9 Jun 2005 01:34:25 -0700
   posting-account=LD551AwAAACdlEdu2MWtVy_U2CjiZWP0



Jonathan Bryce wrote:
> Trust No One wrote:
>
> > I know ghat Bush/Blair considers the UK as the 51st US State but this
> > is ridiculous :)
> >
> > Tried to purchase a small software package today from a US company and
> > was startled when VAT at 17.5% was added to the total at checkout. WTF?
> >
> > There was a note on the Website to the effect that this was in order to
> > comply with 2003 EU regulations.
> >
> > I guess I must have been asleep at the helm over the last 2 years :(
> > First time I've come across this.
>
> It was widely reported in the American press, but not so well publicised
> here.  Freeserve campaigned heavily for it as their main competitor, AOL
> was getting away without charging VAT on their ISP subscription fees.
>

After a bit of digging around I was able to find another US company
supplying the same software package (niche)without the VAT feature.

-- 
Peter