EU Vat Rate: When Is a Book, Not a Book?

Last week the French publishers association (Syndicat National de l'Edition, SNE) launched a campaign directed at the European Commission that goes to the heart of the current taxation policy around e-books.

The #thatisnotabook/#thatisabook initiative asks social media to rise up against the legislators pointing out the full absurdity of charging the full rate of VAT on e-books, but the lowered rate on print books. In France that is a difference between paying 5.5% and 20%; in Luxemboug it is a difference between 3% and 17%. In the UK the gap is between 0% and 20%.