Facebook & Google Tax should be viewed for what it is

Great news that transnational corporations will be forced to pay tax to compensate the industries they have gutted…

Facebook and Google could face higher tax rates in New Zealand
The Government is exploring a move to tax digital giants like Facebook and Google more for their income made within New Zealand.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the move at her post-cabinet press conference on Monday.

Cabinet has agreed to issue a discussion document in May on how to update tax settings to suit the digital world, likely with a “Digital Sales Tax” or DST, similar to what is being explored in Australia and the European Union.

…Facebook and Google have taken the advertising revenue that kept journalism alive while providing a platform that allows fake news and propaganda to flourish but my guess is the timing of this announcement was aimed more at reassuring China that NZ will act even handedly towards Chinese telecommunication interests and American internet interests.

It was bold enough to seize back the narrative of last week but it needs to be a deal that Australia also signs up to so there is a credibility in the move because it’s not just tax collection that matters here, it’s also the privacy protections against Facebook and Google as well.

These companies are the new Gods and listen to no single Government. Watch the following in horror.