EU Abandons Additional Tax on Multi-Functional Mobile Phones with GPS and Mobile TV Features

Not long after the EU’s (European Union) plan to standardize the mobile chargers for Europe market, this piece of good news will definitely cheer you up if you are located in European countries. Just recently, EU has decided to abandon the initial proposal on imposing additional tax to all the multi-functional devices including mobile phones with GPS (Global Positioning System) and mobile TV capabilities.

During December last year, a proposal was submitted with intention to reclassify some of the high end mobile phones with navigation and mobile TV features as “multi-functional devices” and the outcome is obvious – a significant addition of 14 percent tax to mobile device with mobile TV module and 3.7 percent on navigation capable mobile devices respectively. The act was opposed by majority of European countries especially the giant mobile makers such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson due to the reason that the heavy tax will further increase the retail pricing which eventually impact the drop in sales in this critical economic situation.

While the mobile devices continue to get technology convergence with various new enhancements being integrated, the decision is definitely made at the right timing or else it will not only jeopardize the innovative of putting everything in a mobile device, but also affecting the mobile industries in the long run.