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Apple Raising App Store Prices in Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa

Apple today announced that App Store prices are set to rise in several countries around the world due to taxes or changes in foreign exchange rates.

appstore
App and in-app purchase pricing is set to increase in Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Russia, and South Africa in the next few days.

Apple says the pricing reflects a new equalization levy of 2 percent in India and a new value-added tax of 10 percent in Indonesia for developers based outside of Indonesia.

Pricing on apps and in-app purchases is also set to be adjusted in Iceland and Albania to align with pricing used in other markets selling in U.S. dollars with value-added tax. An updated pricing chart is available on Apple's website. [PDF]

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Top Rated Comments

kerr Avatar
73 months ago
I really feel for Apple in these times of financial uncertainty, I often wonder how I can give them more
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago

I really feel for Apple in these times of financial uncertainty, I often wonder how I can give them more
Ask not what you can do for your country, but what you can do for your Apple.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago
I'm in New Zealand and do wonder if other countries Apple pricing is closer to the exchange rate when converted from US currency?
iPhone 12 64gb in US $799 when converted on current exchange to New Zealand dollars = $1195.46
Apple Website price in New Zealand $1499.
Difference of $303.54

FYI our exchange doesn't fluctuate that much and we don't have an apple store
Anyone other countries have similar price mismatch???
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago

I'm in New Zealand and do wonder if other countries Apple pricing is closer to the exchange rate when converted from US currency?
iPhone 12 64gb in US $799 when converted on current exchange to New Zealand dollars = $1195.46
Apple Website price in New Zealand $1499.
Difference of $303.54

FYI our exchange doesn't fluctuate that much and we don't have an apple store
Anyone other countries have similar price mismatch???
Similar thing in Indonesia.

64GB iPhone SE, US price is $399, ours is priced at the equivalent of USD $550.
64GB iPhone 11, US price is $599, ours is $885.

And we only have official distributors, no Apple store.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago

These particular countries raise taxes twice a year? That sounds excessive. If that is the case, I can see why Apple did what they did.
Apple revisits currency conversions and taxes twice per year to adjust them - it's not that these particular countries adjust twice per year. Just Apple reviews 2x per year.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago

Apple today announced ('https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=ul8i5to3') that App Store prices are set to rise in several countries around the world due to taxes or changes in foreign exchange rates.

MacRumors content image

App and in-app purchase pricing is set to increase in Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Russia, and South Africa in the next few days.

Apple says the pricing reflects a new equalization levy of 2 percent in India and a new value-added tax of 10 percent in Indonesia for developers based outside of Indonesia.

Pricing on apps and in-app purchases is also set to be adjusted in Iceland and Albania to align with pricing used in other markets selling in U.S. dollars with value-added tax. An updated pricing chart is available on Apple's website. [PDF ('https://itunespartner.apple.com/assets/downloads/261020Apps-Pricing.pdf')]

Article Link: Apple Raising App Store Prices in Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa ('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/10/26/app-store-pricing-increase/')
Welp, cannot fault Apple on this one, at least for my country, Indonesia. I can confirm that we now have 10% tax on digital services from foreign companies, pushing the digital divide even further. Spotify, Netflix, all have adjusted their prices.
The original idea was similar to tariffs, a protectionism method to protect local businesses. The problem is, there's hardly any competing local versions of many modern digital services, so this ends up being a tax forced upon everyone. I mean the ones paying are still us, the people/consumers. The revenue of the foreign companies are still the same since they passed on the whole tax to consumers. :mad:
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)