World Hungary: Protesters urge PM Orban to scrap Internet tax

[tom_mai78101]

BUDAPEST (AFP) - More than 10,000 people marched in Budapest on Sunday to demand the scrapping of a proposed tax on Internet usage that critics of Prime Minister Viktor Orban call his latest anti-democratic measure.

"There will be no Internet tax... we will block it," organiser Balazs Gulyas told the crowd to cheers.

"If the tax is not scrapped within 48 hours, we will be back again," he said.

The crowd held smartphone torches aloft outside the economy ministry in an echo of recent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, and held signs with slogans such as "Free Wifi! Free Internet! Free Hungary!"

Announcing the levy last Tuesday, Economy Minister Mihaly Varga said the tax -- 150 forints (0.50 euros, $0.61) on each transferred gigabyte of data -- was needed to help shore up the 2015 budget of one of the EU's most indebted nations.

He also said the tax was fair because it was a shift away from phone lines and to the Internet.

 

[FireCat]

Well, internet tax is pure robbery.

 

[Varine]

So is burglary. But there is quite a bit of that in Hungary too.

 

[tom_mai78101]

So is burglary. But there is quite a bit of that in Hungary too.

Burglary do not require sales tax. It is exempt from any taxes whatsoever.

Speaking of which, any crimes committed that involves money is exempt from any taxes.

 

[Accname]

Where I am from you can add any illegally gained money on your tax forms. In this case you will still be punished for your crime but the punishment will be lessened because you basically handed yourself in AND you payed taxes for it!

 

[tom_mai78101]

Where I am from you can add any illegally gained money on your tax forms. In this case you will still be punished for your crime but the punishment will be lessened because you basically handed yourself in AND you payed taxes for it!

You could do that?? How much is the tax rate? Around 6%?

 

[Varine]

Technically here in the US, you still have to pay taxes for theft - there's a special form for it. Otherwise you get charged with tax evasion too, well not usually but you could.

 

[Accname]

Technically here in the US, you still have to pay taxes for theft - there's a special form for it. Otherwise you get charged with tax evasion too, well not usually but you could.

Yeah , same principle here.

 

[Varine]

Criminals gotsa pay their share, too. You think they don't make use of the roads and parks?

 

[The Helper]

What kind of speeds are they getting there and what are they paying for it? I pay $90 a month for Comcast Business class Internet where I am staying now. Fixing to move and will be paying the same for it there but is not business class - dont know the difference have not researched it. I am also renting there wireless router for 10 a month which is included in that price but I dont care because I am a baller like that and you get an unlimited warranty on it when you do that. Where I live you either have Comcast (cable), ATT (Phone Lines) or some sort of wireless and nothing is the 50 bucks that I used to pay for DSL. Cannot wait for Google Fiber to come to Houston but will probably have to move to Austin to get it before they make it here.

 

[Varine]

Faster than the US. Apparently they have some 10.99 Mpbs.

http://www.xpatloop.com/news/64296

 

[The Helper]

They are crybabies then - they are paying squat compared to us.

 

[Accname]

Because your internet companies are a bag full of shits. Dont take it out on us lucky go happy europeans.

 

[tom_mai78101]

Or, you can live close to a technical campus area. For example, I live near an institute heavy for tech and science. All surrounding neighborhoods benefit from the campus for the internet speeds.

But I only get high reliability and stable connections. That's it.

 

[Varine]

I live in Paradise, ain't no high speed internetz out here. It's not profitable to throw down fiber optics for 300 people.