US retailers oppose ‘tax on TVs’
Computer recycling levy would cost consumers millions, says NRF
July 21 2002
The US National Retail Federation is opposing a new law which would it says would drive up the cost of consumer electronics.
The computer recycling programme has been proposed by US Representative Mike Thompson of California.
The RF says the plan amounts to a new tax on computers, and potentially televisions and other devices, that would cost consumers millions of dollars annually.
NRF senior vice president for government relations Steve Pfister said: “While this bill is aimed at computers, it is so broadly written that it could clearly apply to televisions as well and gives the administrator of the federal Environmental Protection Agency the power to tax almost any electronic device she sees fit. Low and moderate-income families, who are already struggling to pay the cost of the technology their children need to master to compete in today’s high-tech world, will be the hardest-hit by this tax.”
The funds raised by the proposed tax would be used to pay for the infrastructure for recycling programmes.
Pfister added: “The vast majority of consumers would have to pay this tax even if they keep their computers forever and never turn them in for recycling. This would create a customer relations disaster for retailers because consumers are going to blame us for raising the price of their computers. Retailers are going to bear not only consumer anger but all the costs and administrative burdens of collecting the tax, with no benefit in return.”
Thompson’s bill would require the federal Environmental Protection Agency to impose a $10 recycling fee on the sale of each computer monitor or laptop computer.
The legislation would allow the recycling fee to apply to any device including either a cathode ray tube or a liquid crystal display. This would cover computer monitors and television sets, laptops, many mobile phones, and other devices. In addition, the fee could be applied to “additional electronic devices” found to contain hazardous materials.
