Book Tax

In the states, walking into a bookstore is similar to perusing artisanal cheeses (you just want a wheelbarrow-full and you devour your purchase within a few days). However in Chile, where a novel could easily run you $50, buying a book is more of a life decision, like what skis to ride or how many pounds of dried mangoes you really need. There’s a standard 19% tax on books here, with an extra 6% added on imports from countries without free trade agreements. Chile is the only country in the western hemisphere that doesn’t exclude books from their VATs. In my opinion, books are one of the obvious fundamentals of education. It’s such an easy and cheap way to spread knowledge among all people. Even Pinochet realized this during his regime when he essentially censored the Chilean culture with mass media control: burning books, closing publishing houses, and adding this tax on knowledge. Even now people are still hawking used books on the streets alongside copper jewelry and handmade pottery. Though the government is obviously part of it, I think that there’s also a fused mindset of the leftovers from Pinochet with the more current technology-driven craze. Bookstores are hard to find (and used bookstores even harder) because there’s such a small demand for hard copies. Without the tax, books would be more affordable for the average Chilean, increasing the demand and spread of bookstores, and augmenting the knowledge and power that the population holds. Not a bad idea...