this post was submitted on 18 May 2026
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203
Gavin Newsom proposes a California digital software tax (www.businessinsider.com)
submitted 1 day ago by sanitation@lemmy.radio to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 42 points 1 day ago (4 children)

As someone who lives near a Best Buy, I'm at Best Buy often," Newsom told reporters during a news conference. "And I'm paying sales tax on a lot of this prewritten software. And then I find out that all my friends that aren't near a Best Buy, they're downloading and they are not paying sales tax. How is that fair?"

Are you actually older than Bernie Sanders. Who the actual fuck buys software in a box in a store? I was born in 1980 and I've never done this.

[–] garretble@lemmy.world 11 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Also, what human being has ever said "prewritten software" to describe a video game or an office suite you can buy at Best Buy?

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 5 points 22 hours ago

What, you don't write your games yourself?

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 5 points 20 hours ago

This sounds like something donald trump would say but vaguely coherent

[–] Holytimes@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Games are software. People buy a FUCK load of games. If I go to best buy and buy a game I pay sales tax. If I buy the same game online I do not pay sales tax.

I'm in California. This is one of the reasons I don't buy games in stores.

[–] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

Why would you ever physically get in your car and go to a store which has 20-100 games instead of clicking in a store that has thousands in either case?

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago

Interesting, steam charges taxes on my purchases. Though I believe it is due to Canada doing digital sales tax laws a while back.

[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Video game industry is literally the biggest software and entertainment industry. OP is confused.

[–] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

OP is confused about what? Nobody says "prewritten software" few people buy software in stores anymore. I'm not even arguing over taxing software I'm arguing over his reasoning and verbiage.

[–] Aitolda@lemmy.world 5 points 22 hours ago

I'm a couple years younger than you, and well as a kid we did buy software from babbages or electronic boutique. I think the last time I bought software for a store was around 2010 at a micro center or something. But that was already a rare occurrence at that point. So as of today it's probably been 16 years since I've done so. I think most of the stores that actually sold software are out of business. So your point is valid.