🚀 go-pugleaf

After reading the views on whether FAX will last, or be supplanted/replaced by
other technologies based on computers and telephones, I thought I would just
add to the discussion the following.

In British Columbia, a Canadian province on the west coast (Pacific Ocean-side)
the government sees FAX as a "handy source of revenue" (quotes are mine!). In
the latest budget for the province, the government has started charging sales
tax on FAX transmissions. Obviously, this tax must be collected by the
telephone company, who inadvertently become tax collectors thru their
accounting process.

Surely, this must add substantially to the cost of teltephone services, since
the sorftware must be written to catch these espenses and add the tax to our
bills, and then report on the amount collected, and then adjust accounts
receivable and payable for this amount, and then submit payment, etc.

So, we users will receive a double hit--tax and increased operating costs.  I
am sure other governments must alos be studying this type of revenue grab, so
the question becomes: will increasing costs of FAXing spur development of
alternatives, or will governments be only too glad to grab money from the
alternatives as they become successful? (Hard question? NOT!)
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| IMAGISTICS Business Theatre Technology | Rick McCormack |
|  Interactive   Effective   Compelling  | Vancouver,  BC |
|________________________________________|________________|
|  UseNet: Rick_McCormack@mindlink.uucp  |  A O-L: Rique  |
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