David Weigel | October 17, 2006
The Bush White House ignores the bad polls, Pyongyang's problems could also be Seoul's, and gamers get added to the tax rolls... in the new Reason Express.
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For example, were you to sell an online character in some
multiverse game to another player for $1,000, it certainly looks
like you owe tax on that $1,000. But what if you claim that you
"invested" $500 in that character and therefore you really only
have a taxable gain of $500? The 12-sided dice were never so
complicated.
Priceless!
Will World of Warcrafters be allowed deductions for equipment used in their virtual professions and virtual medical expenses?
If they're intelligent, they'll stay out of that rat's nest. I
can think of tons of extrapolations.....
How about a virtual hurricane destroying the virtual landscape?
Gotta apply for (real) disaster money....
After all, fair's fair. If a virtual "capital gains" event is
considered taxable in real cash, why can't other events in the
virtual world have their own real financial effects?
Virtual armies in the virtual world fighting each other, requiring
tons and tons of military funds.....
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