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Tech Wednesday, January 23rd 2013 at 10:36 am

Loophole Closed: Sweden Extends TV Tax To Computer and Tablet Owners

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TV taxes, or license fees per television set, are pretty common throughout Europe, providing funding for many large public broadcasters across the continent, such as the much-loved BBC. This week, though, Sweden updated their structure for collecting the television tax to reflect how more and more people actually watch TV, which is not on their TV. With that in mind, the television tax will now apply to any citizen with a computer or tablet as well.

As TV watching moves increasingly to things that are not televisions, some European countries have started looking for ways to claw back some revenue — or just open new sources of it — to support their public television programming. Earlier this year, for example, Finland moved it’s TV tax from a per-television fee to a generalized tax paid by everyone.

Sweden’s move represents a sort of middle ground, as viewers will pay a tax only if they own a device they can watch TV on, but will if they own any device they can watch TV on, which means computers and tablets are new targets for Swedish tax collectors. Rather than a new law, though, the tax expansion is actually just stepped up enforcement of a statute that has been on Swedish books since 2006, stating that anyone who can access an entire channel of television on any device is required to pay the fee. While that’s conceivably possible on smartphones as well, they won’t be taxed under the law because really, who watches an entire TV channel on their phone? My eyes hurt just thinking about that.

(via Arctic Startup)

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  • Jack Bond

    I wish that were possible. Unfortunately, the closest thing I can get to real TV on my iPhone is an eternity of Popeye episodes.

    Also do they get ad free TV or something? Because paying for TV service, paying a tax for TV, and having to watch ads sounds like a raw deal.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bruce-E-Screws-Jr/5200506 Bruce E. Screws Jr.

    I think you just described cable television.

  • http://blog.headsign.de/ headsign

    In Germany, first the tax was extended to computers. Starting from this year, everyone has to pay the tax, no matter if someone owns a device capable of displaying a television program. In consequence, I bought myself a TV.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ian.chant Ian Chant

    Are you enjoying it, or do you regret the call?

  • http://blog.headsign.de/ headsign

    The TV? I’m actually enjoying it. I’d been watching TV with Zattoo a lot these last years. Eventually, Zattoo began to lag more and more. Also: no more need for a clunky VGA adapter to play my old consoles.
    Apart from that, I think the tax is quite unfair on a number of levels: German television programs are sub-standard compared to many other countries (BBC, sigh!). Also: many people I know only watch private channels. Still, they have to pay for mostly boring state TV.

  • Jack Bond

    So? I’m pretty sure from what I read that cable television was covered under the tax before non-TV viewing.

  • Mem

    “providing funding for many large public broadcasters”

    I find it absurd that it’s legally possible to force people to pay for a specific channel/company/brand.

    The problem in Denmark for some years now, we’re forced to pay for a channel I’m not ever going to watch or make use of in any way. They need to get the f* out of my wallet. NOT your money. Earn them like everybody else.

  • Stealthnugget

    Swedish TV channels are divided into two groups: Swedish Television, which covers channels 1, 2, Children and perhaps… two others – these are not funded by ads. The rest: channels 3, 4, 5, 6 etc. etc are. The Swedish television ones also happen to be the least popular and watched, not because a lack of commercials, but for simply being boring.