[nycbug-talk] taxing free software

[G. Rosamond]

Had a long discussion about open source software in Poland with a 
Polish network admin.

Apparently, the Polish government levies massive taxes on the use of 
free software.

It's done in this manner:

the tax is 22% on software. . . So you install Sendmail or some MTA, 
and it's free.  How does the government determine what the 22% is based 
on?  By a similar product like MS Exchange.  So if Exchange costs 
$1000, you have to pay the government $220 for using a free MTA.

Anybody heard of this before?  It seems completely ridiculous.  Why not 
tax tap water at the rate of the cost of a Pepsi. . .?

g