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Date: 13 Nov 2000 10:11:21 -0000
From: dune@home.pl
To: debian-devel@lists.debian.org
Subject: GNU/Linux taxed in Poland ?!

Hello,

About month ago one of the local fiscal office in Poland has laid 
a tax on some company in Poland which uses Linux servers and 
StarOffice apllications. This information appeared in the past week
in Polish edition of Computerworld. AND THIS IS NOT A JOKE.

The fiscal office has treated GNU software as a DONATION for this
company with a price on the level of M$ Windows NT and M$ Office
prices. According to the Polish tax regulations this company must 
pay about 30% (thirty percents) of these values now. So much.

Three weeks ago Computerlworld has asked Polish Treasury about 
an interpretation of a term of donation in case of GNU software.
Nobody from the Treasury replied yet.

Maybe this is a less problem for commercial Linux distros like 
RedHat, Mandrake, Suse, Caldera etc. because these product have 
small prices  and they can not be treated as donations but only as 
expenses. I hope because there is still not clear issues concerns 
prices of GPL, LGPL, Artistic, BSD licenses within the scope of Polish 
tax regulations.

What in a case of Debian GNU/Linux servers?  I have some fears.

I am not sure but maybe some official letter from the Debian community 
to the Polish Treasury may change something in their mind.

Greetings from Poland,

Mariusz Przygodzki
dune@home.pl



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