[_scr00bius_]

Most payment processors do not calculate taxes on purchases, especially not online. The merchant of record does of course, and in this case apple would be both the merchant of record and processor so it's moot. But if you wanted to make this law, aiming at the processors wouldn't get you very far

[matesz]

Yeah I can see how this will quickly devolve into some kind of epic legal battle and I am not a lawyer.

However that is not the point. As a consumer, wouldn't you like to see cost breakdown like this?

App purchase: $10.00

Direct intermediary total: 30%

Payment processor total: 0.15%

Government total: 8.25%

PS. Software Engine total: 5%

PS. Patent uses total: 5.63% [1]

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32374976 - so finally we can put patent trolling issue to rest, that is to make it impossible for patent owners to prohibit it's uses and instead use appraisers to define value of a patent in it's particular use. This may mean forcing users to pay for a patent use, even in products which were initially free.