'Reading crisis' prompts Denmark to end 25% tax on books
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Re: 'Reading crisis' prompts Denmark to end 25% tax on books
#2The way this article is worded makes it sound like Denmark has a 'book tax'. Denmark has a VAT on goods (and services), which is 25%. But Denmark doesn't have split VAT values, so it's either 25% or nothing; no in-between. So they are just proposing removing the VAT from books. (Some goods and services are already exempt from VAT.)
And if you wonder why Denmark doesn't simply lower their VAT or introduce a split VAT system like in most other countries; the answer is technical inertia (or technical debt, if you will). Most Danish accounting and banking systems are hardcoded to assume 25% (or nothing). So if a politician want immediate change to VAT, removing it from a category of goods/services is their only option.
Edit: I realise I was careless in my wording, when I wrote "hardcoded to assume 25% (or nothing)"; I meant that the systems only assume one rate (or nothing), not that the value of 25% was hardcoded (though it is in a few (lesser) systems I've encountered). I apologise for the confusion.
Re: 'Reading crisis' prompts Denmark to end 25% tax on books
#3[dead]
Re: 'Reading crisis' prompts Denmark to end 25% tax on books
#4Problem: 15 year olds don't know how to read. Solution: Make books 25% cheaper.
Sure, it can't hurt, but are those kids or their parents gonna go out and buy books, and then, you know, learn how to read?
I wonder what the numbers are like in the US...
Re: 'Reading crisis' prompts Denmark to end 25% tax on books
#5The way this article is worded makes it sound like Denmark has a 'book tax'. Denmark has a VAT on goods (and services), which is 25%. But Denmark doesn't have split VAT values, so it's either 25% or nothing; no in-between. So they are just proposing removing the VAT from books. (Some goods and services are already exempt from VAT.) And if you wonder why Denmark doesn't simply lower their VAT or introduce a split VAT…
Insane that technical debt and general incompetency in software can produce such unexpected side effects.
Re: 'Reading crisis' prompts Denmark to end 25% tax on books
#6Problem: 15 year olds don't know how to read. Solution: Make books 25% cheaper. Sure, it can't hurt, but are those kids or their parents gonna go out and buy books, and then, you know, learn how to read? I wonder what the numbers are like in the US...
Not good and not improving https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2024/federal-data-reading-...
Re: 'Reading crisis' prompts Denmark to end 25% tax on books
#7Problem: 15 year olds don't know how to read. Solution: Make books 25% cheaper. Sure, it can't hurt, but are those kids or their parents gonna go out and buy books, and then, you know, learn how to read? I wonder what the numbers are like in the US...
True, but also there is a commonly accepted rule in economics where taxing something disincentivizes consumption of that thing. Usually when you lift taxes on something you will see a rise in consumption on that thing. But it remains to be seen if the 15 year olds in this situation will be the ones to consume more of it.
Re: 'Reading crisis' prompts Denmark to end 25% tax on books
#8Problem: 15 year olds don't know how to read. Solution: Make books 25% cheaper. Sure, it can't hurt, but are those kids or their parents gonna go out and buy books, and then, you know, learn how to read? I wonder what the numbers are like in the US...
This article[0], which covers the same but in Danish has more details. It mentions Sweden lowering their book VAT in 2001 to 6%. The takeaway was that more books were sold, but to people who were already buying books. Getting new readers thus requires an additional effort than merely lowering the cost.
[0] https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/regeringen-vil-afskaffe-mo...
Re: 'Reading crisis' prompts Denmark to end 25% tax on books
#9What is people doing instead of reading? Social media is designed to be extremely addictive. It taps also on teenagers fears of failing to fit in.
I love HN for being a place for discussion. But most social media is a one way trend setting communication. Miss it and you are out of touch with everybody else. And it moves fast.
What people need is time for themselves with their own thoughts. That creates the opportunity to read and do other things. A phone that requires 100% of your attention span does not allow for that. And big tech puts billions on tracking and data gathering to better know what keeps people hooked and dependent.
Re: 'Reading crisis' prompts Denmark to end 25% tax on books
#10Problem: 15 year olds don't know how to read. Solution: Make books 25% cheaper. Sure, it can't hurt, but are those kids or their parents gonna go out and buy books, and then, you know, learn how to read? I wonder what the numbers are like in the US...
>Make books 25% cheaper.
Nitpick, but it's actually only making books 20% cheaper; 100/125 = 0.8 (80%).