RB>>>> Consider that the current Dealer price for an Austel USR 14400

 RB>>>> sportster internal fax/modem is $Au53.20 + 19.8% tax,
so $63.74 +

 JP>>> Err, isn't the tax rate currently at 23%?



 >> Not with modems.

 >> It s all over the place because of software content.

 >> I recon that the courier should be taxed the cheapest because the flash

 >> code is software, but no, it is the dearest.



 HM> Hmmm, dunno about that one. Given that, a motherboard should have < 22% 

 HM> sales

 HM> tax because of the BIOS. Re: the USR, you could argue that because the 

 HM> flash

 HM> upgrades are free, they're worth $0, which won't affect the tax rate ...



BUT, it can..

Having something worth $0 really confuses the beauracrats,



When I was in the solomon islands 10 years ago (doing electrical &

autoelectrical work for volunteers abroad) I had to go to the customs

department to pickup some supplies, I was dumbfounded to hear an argument 

in progress while in the office....



You know how church and charity groups send clothing parcels to these

countries....seems new clothes attract a certain rate of tax/duty and

secondhand clothes attract a different rate (200% of the value of the

clothes) BUT seeing as the parcel being argued over was a gift...FREE..

It did not have a value therefore 200% of zero would be zero...(which did

not make the customs official very happy...so the parcel was kept in customs

until a value could be put on it....It was there for 2 years that I know of.





When you think about it...Computers themselves CANT WORK WITHOUT SOFTWARE

So they should also be cheaper.



Russell



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