The enemy has fallen

**DarkProdigy** · 03-24-2007, 10:20 AM

Imagine this: You're playing your favorite MMO, grinding levels, PKing, or defeating that uber-scary boss. Did you get any good items in the process? Perhaps that legendary Spoon of Infinite Stirring you've been longing to obtain? I hope you enjoy it, because the government wants to tax your virtual property.

Are you ready to pay?

OnlyTheClouds · 03-24-2007, 10:22 AM

Motivation to get a real job so they can tax you for the money you get from that, I suppose.

lord_carbo · 03-24-2007, 10:43 AM

..........

I'm lost for words.

Since when has the IRS had the right to take control over the development of a video game and its virtual economy? Wait, they don't, and they shouldn't.

Greedy whores.

Ruu · 03-24-2007, 10:49 AM

America, what a country.

vashthestampede0987 · 03-24-2007, 12:05 PM

Was hoping this was about Gaia. =/

IRS makes me rofl though

GuidoHunter · 03-24-2007, 12:09 PM

Sounds like they don't want to tax earning money in-game, but rather they want to tax, you know, real income, like the kind everyone gets taxed for.

Making gold in WoW can't be taxed, but selling goods and services for income probably can.

If that's the case, what's the big deal?

EDIT: Way to be completely misleading about the deal, though. That's some nice dead-end rhetoric.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

Tps222 · 03-24-2007, 12:11 PM

They'd only tax the selling of goods over Ebay and stuff like that.

EDIT: Guido pretty much ninja'd what I meant.

Eyoshi · 03-24-2007, 12:18 PM

Why would the IRS tax transactions that would probably be against the game's ToS?

I know the practice is lucrative, but trading in-game currency for real-life money is against most MMOs' rules. :/

FFR4EVA_00 · 03-24-2007, 12:31 PM

Second Life, I can understand. I heard that someone became a millionaire through playing it. But WoW? Why would anyone want to tax that?

Eyoshi · 03-24-2007, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FFR4EVA_00

Second Life, I can understand. I heard that someone became a millionaire through playing it. But WoW? Why would anyone want to tax that?

If people can make lots of money out of something, it will be taxed.

I'm a bit concerned about the companies that make the games, though. It might become harder for them to keep their in-game economies in check.

GuidoHunter · 03-24-2007, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyoshi

Why would the IRS tax transactions that would probably be against the game's ToS?

It's a form of income. Why should the IRS care about what the game developer thinks of the practice that they can't even control?

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

evilbutterfly · 03-24-2007, 12:47 PM

They need to just get rid of income tax and raise sales tax. That would fix all of this and more.

And yeah, the title is more misleading, but if they're just taxing online transactions of real money then whatever. And ebay has banned virtual items, so that befuddles some of the trading that goes on. I dunno, if the government does this and doesn't raise taxes elsewhere, whatever, cuz it's not like I make money off of WoW gold.

EDIT: Guido, I think he's saying it'd be like taxing the illegal drug trade. 1) It shouldn't be happening anyway, 2) Because of 1, it makes it hard to track and accurately tax.

nforcer06164 · 03-24-2007, 04:02 PM

If there's actual income involved, yeah, it makes total sense to me. But, "valuable" online property, with "value" only having meaning in-game, that it's totally ridiculous. In the context of the article... well, I see no problem.

CaMino · 03-24-2007, 04:18 PM

I dont really understand waht your saying lol

03-24-2007, 10:20 AM	#1
DarkProdigy FFR Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 893	The enemy has fallen Imagine this: You're playing your favorite MMO, grinding levels, PKing, or defeating that uber-scary boss. Did you get any good items in the process? Perhaps that legendary Spoon of Infinite Stirring you've been longing to obtain? I hope you enjoy it, because the government wants to tax your virtual property. Are you ready to pay? __________________ Are you a stepartist?

03-24-2007, 10:22 AM	#2
OnlyTheClouds FFR Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ridin 24s with my windows pitch black Posts: 108	Re: The enemy has fallen Motivation to get a real job so they can tax you for the money you get from that, I suppose. __________________

03-24-2007, 10:43 AM	#3
lord_carbo FFR Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: fighting villains from afar, NJ Age: 32 Posts: 6,222	Re: The enemy has fallen .......... I'm lost for words. Since when has the IRS had the right to take control over the development of a video game and its virtual economy? Wait, they don't, and they shouldn't. Greedy whores. __________________ last.fm Last edited by lord_carbo; 03-24-2007 at 10:46 AM..

03-24-2007, 10:49 AM	#4
Ruu FFR Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Age: 32 Posts: 70	Re: The enemy has fallen America, what a country.

03-24-2007, 12:11 PM	#7
Tps222 FFR Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Age: 33 Posts: 6,167	Re: The enemy has fallen They'd only tax the selling of goods over Ebay and stuff like that. EDIT: Guido pretty much ninja'd what I meant.

03-24-2007, 12:18 PM	#8
Eyoshi Certified Calendarwhore Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Council is not in session. Age: 34 Posts: 1,044	Re: The enemy has fallen Why would the IRS tax transactions that would probably be against the game's ToS? I know the practice is lucrative, but trading in-game currency for real-life money is against most MMOs' rules. :/ __________________ Last edited by Eyoshi; 03-24-2007 at 12:23 PM..

03-24-2007, 12:31 PM	#9
FFR4EVA_00 FFR Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Banned Posts: 1,770	Re: The enemy has fallen Second Life, I can understand. I heard that someone became a millionaire through playing it. But WoW? Why would anyone want to tax that? __________________ ~~Lurkadurk - 1134-7796-6967~~

03-24-2007, 12:47 PM	#12
evilbutterfly FFR Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Small town, TN Age: 37 Posts: 5,784	Re: The enemy has fallen They need to just get rid of income tax and raise sales tax. That would fix all of this and more. And yeah, the title is more misleading, but if they're just taxing online transactions of real money then whatever. And ebay has banned virtual items, so that befuddles some of the trading that goes on. I dunno, if the government does this and doesn't raise taxes elsewhere, whatever, cuz it's not like I make money off of WoW gold. EDIT: Guido, I think he's saying it'd be like taxing the illegal drug trade. 1) It shouldn't be happening anyway, 2) Because of 1, it makes it hard to track and accurately tax. __________________ So I've gone completely slack-ass and haven't done any work on creating games. =( In less-depressing news, I got a job for an online business (which sells non-electronic games, of all things!) which has taught me a lot about marketing online and all that jazz. So now I'm on Twitter @NoahWright. And I write the blog for their website. Plus I do cool programming in-house that you'll never see. =O

03-24-2007, 04:18 PM	#14
CaMino FFR Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 12	Re: The enemy has fallen I dont really understand waht your saying lol

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