Apple today informed developers about some upcoming pricing changes for apps and in-app purchases in Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Germany, and South Korea, with Apple introducing a new VAT in some countries and adjusting pricing in others.
Apple says that when taxes or foreign exchange rates change, prices on the App Store in certain regions and some proceeds need to be adjusted. In Zimbabwe and Cameroon, proceeds will be adjusted and proceeds will be calculated based on the tax-exclusive price.
Cameroon - New value-added tax of 19.25%
Zimbabwe - New value-added tax of 14.5%
In Germany and South Korea, prices of apps and in-app purchases are increasing, but auto-renewable subscription prices will remain the same.
Germany - Value-added tax rate reversion to 19% after temporary decrease to 16%. App Store pricing will not change.
South Korea - Prices of alternative tiers for apps and in-app purchases (excluding auto-renewable subscriptions) will be adjusted to allow for additional locally relevant pricing conventions.
When the changes go into effect, the Pricing and Availability section of My Apps for developers will be updated, and app pricing can be changed any time using App Store Connect. Full pricing changes are available on Apple's site. [PDF]
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Goodness! 19.25% tax on every purchase! Consumers working for the government.
Well my taxes don’t pay the government. They pay my schools, police stations, hospitals, firestations, trains, autobahns, universities so I am fine with that. Sure it could be less. But then some of that stuff would cost extra. It is what it is.
Almost makes me wish for AppleCoin; so I can prebuy into the currency used within the Apple ecosystem. Just to be on the safe side of any fluctuations. 💰
Makes me wish sales tax wasn't a way to subsidize corporate income tax loopholes. The government already took my contribution when I earned the money.
Please tell me you're not actually this "uneducated".
So the government should only take taxes on services rendered by the police to pay for the police; so if you're a victim of a crime you pay "taxes" to fund their part in solving it, but if you're not a victim you don't pay taxes to the police. And you only pay taxes to build the roads that you travel on, and no other roads.
So no taxes unless you see a direct link to what you're using?
(And just to play along here I of course chose to, in your favour, completely ignore that the government is what's structuring the whole ass infrastructure that actually makes it possible to have a functioning internet in their country; things like coordinating frequencies for cellular services, and making sure it's possible to put fiber in the ground for wired connections. And so on and on and on. Making the local government very much doing plenty of things directly related to said app.)
Please tell me that you are not so full of yourself that you need to resort to personal attacks just because someone has a different opinion than you. Don't you worry about me, I am highly educated and extremely successful. I think I'll get by in life without you teaching me.
It does appear however, your swollen "educated" head has a reading disability. Where did I say "no taxes unless you see a direct link". My comment was answering your assertion that the government has something to do with App purchases. They do not, and that is 100% factually correct. I also did not say their shouldn't be any tax applied to the App store or any other purchase for that matter. I am just saying that 20% is unproportionately high to the services that money will be used for. Taxation is complex and unless I analyze all aspects of taxation for each country, its impossible to come to a complete conclusion. But in general, as I already mentioned, I believe property taxes should be the main driver of tax revenue for the services brought up and not some kid buying a game on the internet.
Your rebuttal was because the government provides nice things, they are justified to take what they want, wherever they want with out being questioned. So if they raised it to 40%, 80%, 600%. Would you have a problem with it then? If your answer is yes, then the only difference between you and me, is the rate at which it becomes a problem. I have no issue with disagreeing over rates, everyone sees things differently. But next time, check your personal attacks at the door.
Well my taxes don’t pay the government. They pay my schools, police stations, hospitals, firestations, trains, autobahns, universities so I am fine with that. Sure it could be less. But then some of that stuff would cost extra. It is what it is.
19% WOW! I don't want to hear a word form these countries about how the App Store charges 15% and 30% to their developers for creating an entire platform, developing api's, hosting, selling, supporting etc. When the government takes 20% (which is close to what Apple takes because they are also tacking 20% on Apples 30%) for doing absolutely nothing.
Much suck for you to live in a country where your government does absolutely nothing.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a book-style design featuring a ~5.5-inch outer display and a ~7.8-inch inner display with a minimal crease down the middle.
