Poland Open Source

Free software taxation

In November of 2000 we found through a post on the Debian list about the attempt to tax free software in Poland. We tried to contact Ministry of Finance officials but we were not successful. Soon after we learned of a considerable effort to establish a free software activist group in Poland because of the tax issue. This has led to the establishment of Ruch Na Rzecz Wolnego Oprogramowania (RWO).

RWO in collaboration with ISOC Poland successfully lobied against the tax. The decision not to impose a special tax for free software was announced in late April 2001.

As of May 2001, RWO were in the process of being legally established.
Now RWO is legaly the section of ISOC Poland. Such structure permits to joint efforts of both organisations and simplify the administrative matters.

• Ruch Na Rzecz Wolnego Oprogramowania (RWO)
  The Polish Open Source activist coalition.
• RWO's manifesto in English.
• Internet Society Poland
• Polish Ministry of Finance
• Taxing Free Software
  A thread on Slashdot (November 20, 2000)

-- SamKritikos - 31 Jan 2002

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