# DISH/DIRECTV Applaud ... Subcommittee Vote On State Video Tax Fairness Act



## scuba_tim (Sep 23, 2006)

DISH Network and DIRECTV Applaud House Judiciary Subcommittee Vote On State Video Tax Fairness Act

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jul 24, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- "DISH Network and DIRECTV applaud Chairwoman Sanchez and all the members of the House Judiciary's Commercial and Administrative Law subcommittee who this morning overwhelmingly approved H.R. 3679, the State Video Tax Fairness Act.
"Today's vote was a victory for all consumers, satellite and cable alike, who want to choose their video provider based on price, quality and customer service not based on which one has a lower state sales tax. The bill, sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT), allows states to tax any pay TV service so long as the tax is equal across all providers. DIRECTV and DISH Network look forward to working with a growing list of supporters to enact this bipartisan, common sense bill into law this year."

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/sto...3723C6-AFC9-4B28-8B44-CF152A88FA20}&dist=hppr


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

scuba_tim said:


> DISH Network and DIRECTV Applaud House Judiciary Subcommittee Vote On State Video Tax Fairness Act
> 
> ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jul 24, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- "DISH Network and DIRECTV applaud Chairwoman Sanchez and all the members of the House Judiciary's Commercial and Administrative Law subcommittee who this morning overwhelmingly approved H.R. 3679, the State Video Tax Fairness Act.
> "Today's vote was a victory for all consumers, satellite and cable alike, who want to choose their video provider based on price, quality and customer service not based on which one has a lower state sales tax. The bill, sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT), allows states to tax any pay TV service so long as the tax is equal across all providers. DIRECTV and DISH Network look forward to working with a growing list of supporters to enact this bipartisan, common sense bill into law this year."
> ...


So...will the Florida state legislature lower the tax on satellite or raise the tax on cable if this is passed.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

I assume that all areas will increase taxes on all services to the same rate as the highest one currently in the each state... Lets face it, no state is going to lower any taxes... but they are more than happy to raise a rate...


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

Dang ... to me this reads that we can expect to start seeing additional taxes on our DIRECTV bills.


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## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

they can't put "right of way" fees on a service that doesn't use ther public right of way......


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Who owns the air over the city/county/state? Can it be taxed?


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## scuba_tim (Sep 23, 2006)

I really wasn't aware what was going on till someone here pointed out that Ch 203 had this notice on it. Then there's a link to this website: http://www.stopsatellitetax.com/ for more information.

I'm not sure they'd raise cable tax to match satellite, might cause a bit of an uproar from the tethered people. Living in NC myself, it's nice to see some action.


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## scuba_tim (Sep 23, 2006)

James Long said:


> Who owns the air over the city/county/state? Can it be taxed?


Now you're just opening a big ol can of worms 

Though something that's becoming a thing where I live now, is air property rights, or the right to sell space above your property (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_rights).

I like this part: To whoever owns the land, shall belong the earth to its center and up to the heavens


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## lwilli201 (Dec 22, 2006)

You think a satallite tax is bad, check this out.

http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/international/bbc.html


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

scuba_tim said:


> I really wasn't aware what was going on till someone here pointed out that Ch 203 had this notice on it. Then there's a link to this website: http://www.stopsatellitetax.com/ for more information.


Channel 211 on DISH. Right between the CSPANs. 



scuba_tim said:


> I like this part: To whoever owns the land, shall belong the earth to its center and up to the heavens


The trouble is the satellite isn't straight up, so I have to aim my dish over the neighbor's land and through their airspace. How can I do that without permission? Perhaps the government needs to step in, seize the property over my neighbor's land as eminent domain, and tax me for the use of it. 

That's how it works for the cable/power poles that run on a utility easement on my property ... even though I don't subscribe to cable (and don't even have a drop from the line to my house ... any more). Someone took a 10ft wide swath of land away from me to allow utility companies to deliver services to my neighbors.

And it's generally OK because my neighbors lost 10ft of their land to provide service to me! 

There are communities that limit locations of satellite dishes and other construction, even the height and size of signs, controlling just how high the "property" one owns can be used. Sadly it isn't too much of a stretch to consider the sky "right of way" for sunlight, star gazing and satellite delivery.


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## liverpool (Jan 29, 2007)

lwilli201 said:


> You think a satallite tax is bad, check this out.
> 
> http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/international/bbc.html


I would gladly pay the british tv licence here in the states if I could receive the bbc in its british form. I am paying Directv $1200 a year for a product that is far inferior. I spent 40 years watching the BBC and nothing here in the states can compare.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Ken S said:


> So...will the Florida state legislature lower the tax on satellite or raise the tax on cable if this is passed.


I believe that Florida taxes both satellite and cable the same, so this may have no effect at all in Florida.


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## scuba_tim (Sep 23, 2006)

Richard King said:


> I believe that Florida taxes both satellite and cable the same, so this may have no effect at all in Florida.


Not according to http://www.stopsatellitetax.com/. They claiim over 50% higher tax on satellite folks compared to cable.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

scuba_tim said:


> Not according to http://www.stopsatellitetax.com/. They claiim over 50% higher tax on satellite folks compared to cable.


The letter referring to Florida on the site is dated 2005. I BELIEVE that it has been fixed since then. It used to be that local municipalities charged their own "fees" for right of way, etc. A couple of years ago these "fees" were eliminated and all "fees" were rolled over into a state tax that is paid by both cable and satellite, with a portion of taxes on both being handed back to the municipalities. Of course, this means that the satellite viewer is now paying a tax to use the right of way throughout communities where they are not using these right of ways.


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## scuba_tim (Sep 23, 2006)

huh... thanks for the update. Guess you can't believe everything you read on the internet.


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## su_A_ve (Sep 27, 2007)

This blows. I don't get charged for tax with D* here, but do with comcrap. So guess now we'll start getting charged tax with D* as well. Where did I win?


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

> The bill, ............. allows states to tax any pay TV service so long as the tax is equal across all providers.


How far does the word "state" apply? IOW, can my county that now taxes cable, start taxing satellite as well?

As for the air over your property, there is a provision of some law that gives blanket waivers to airplanes etc. IIRC, so guy in Montana tried to collect rent from airlines for them flying over his property. Court said no.

I would think there would be a similar provision for radio waves or somebody would have tried to collect rent for waves over their property years ago.


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## dhines (Aug 16, 2006)

i just don't get how this is good. cable is taxed to hell, now they will be taxing DBS to hell?


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## KevinRS (Oct 9, 2007)

dhines said:


> i just don't get how this is good. cable is taxed to hell, now they will be taxing DBS to hell?


you'd have to look at a cable bill in detail, as much of the "taxes" aren't.

there are franchise fees, surcharges, etc.


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## Jtaylor1 (Jan 27, 2008)

NO TV = A BETTER LIFE. 

Great vandalism for those who are Anti-TV people or Anti-TV christians.

I wonder if Congress is planning on doing the same thing. If you purchase or watch TV without a licence, you can be fined and/or be put in jail.


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## lwilli201 (Dec 22, 2006)

liverpool said:


> I would gladly pay the british tv licence here in the states if I could receive the bbc in its british form. I am paying Directv $1200 a year for a product that is far inferior. I spent 40 years watching the BBC and nothing here in the states can compare.


Since I have 6 color TV's, that would be $1,200 a year just for BBC. :nono2: If this was a requirement in the US, that $1,200 would be going to PBS. The TV manufactures must hate that law because it has to drag down TV sales in the UK.

WOW I can see the TV Tax Police. :eek2:


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## d max82 (May 23, 2007)

Richard King said:


> The letter referring to Florida on the site is dated 2005. I BELIEVE that it has been fixed since then. It used to be that local municipalities charged their own "fees" for right of way, etc. A couple of years ago these "fees" were eliminated and all "fees" were rolled over into a state tax that is paid by both cable and satellite, with a portion of taxes on both being handed back to the municipalities. Of course, this means that the satellite viewer is now paying a tax to use the right of way throughout communities where they are not using these right of ways.


sorry Richard your incorrect here. From http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/GT-800011.html#comservicetax

"The tax includes a state rate of 6.8 percent plus a gross receipts tax rate of 2.37 percent, for a combined state communications services tax rate of 9.17 percent. Each local taxing jurisdiction may add its own local tax rate on communications services.

Direct-to-home satellite services are taxed at a total rate of 13.17 percent. Local tax does not apply to these satellite services."

What the bill last year did was allowed the state to autorize cable cos to do business in particular areas, eliminating the franchise agreements between local municipalities and the the cable cos. This was done to increase competition and eliminate "pass through" fees that fund PEG channels. Instead of time consuming and expensive consessions to local government for right-of-way, the new state application is a single page application with a $10,000 filing fee to the state. It had no effect on DBS services unfortunately.


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