E-books

[Max]

Hi, another naive and possibly very basic question here but I am going to sell my education book to customers who will view/read it on my website. It will be in PDF format. Is this classed as an ebook and therefore affected by digital tax? Thanks in advance.

 

[antropy]

Hi, another naive and possibly very basic question here but I am going to sell my education book to customers who will view/read it on my website. It will be in PDF format. Is this classed as an ebook and therefore affected by digital tax? Thanks in advance.

Should be 0% as far as I can tell but I'm not a qualified accountant:

Zero rate of VAT for electronic publications

Find out about the zero rate of VAT for certain electronic publications.

www.gov.uk

Paul.

 

[fisicx]

Hi, another naive and possibly very basic question here but I am going to sell my education book to customers who will view/read it on my website. It will be in PDF format. Is this classed as an ebook and therefore affected by digital tax? Thanks in advance.

If it’s PDF they can download the document and give it away for free to their friends.

 

[Max]

If it’s PDF they can download the document and give it away for free to their friends.

Yes this was a concern. It has been set so that it cannot be downloaded. Not tech savvy but that is what the website developer has done. I was just wondering if there is a loop hole in terms of this kind of set up (i.e. not downloadable) that means it is outside the remit of an e-book. It is looking like it is not vatable in the UK but will be in other countries (if it is an ebook).

 

[fisicx]

The web developer is telling you porkies. You can’t stop anyone downloading the PDF (or anything else on the site). If there is a URL to the document it can be downloaded and saved. It’s quite possible Google will even find the PDF and make it available for free.

I wouldn’t worry too much about tax. The chances of you reaching the threshold are very slim.

 

[Kerwin]

The web developer is telling you porkies. You can’t stop anyone downloading the PDF (or anything else on the site). If there is a URL to the document it can be downloaded and saved. It’s quite possible Google will even find the PDF and make it available for free.

I wouldn’t worry too much about tax. The chances of you reaching the threshold are very slim.

You can DRM protect PDF files which while not stopping people from downloading the file means they can not read it or share it.

Having said that I'm no expert on DRM so might require some research.

 

[Max]

Thanks for these replies. We will be testing before going live so thanks for the heads up.

 

[fisicx]

You can DRM protect PDF files which while not stopping people from downloading the file means they can not read it or share it.

Having said that I'm no expert on DRM so might require some research.

Yes you can but it’s also simple to remove the encryption with the right tools.

@Max if you just want to sell the ebook do it via an existing platform not your own website.

 

[Max]

Thanks for your advice.

 

[imbussminded]

Yes, your book in PDF format would indeed be considered an ebook. But whether or not it's subject to digital tax depends on various factors such as your location, the location of your customers, and the tax regulations in those jurisdictions. It's advisable to consult with a tax professional or accountant who can provide specific guidance based on your circumstances. Also, researching the digital tax laws applicable to your situation can help ensure compliance and avoid any potential issues down the road.

 

[Max]

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Videoguy]

Selling it as a Kindle book on Amazon would be a better bet - especially as they will handle all the payments and delivery. Readers will need to have a Kindle (or the app) to read it, which will reduce sharing a bit - although nothing can eliminate it completely. You could also consider their print-on-demand service, so people can order it as a hardcopy book. This adds more credence as lots of people don't consider an eBook to be a "proper" book.

 

[sabian1982]

I would:

1. stick it on Amazon as a physically printed or Kindle book and/or allow people to order the physical book via a landing page on your own website. That won't 100% stop the book from being shared, but it will reduce the chances as its then not in a freely shareable format.
   
   
2. create a summarised versions of perhaps the first 3-5 sections/chapters of the book, the key takeaways, the key ideas or concepts and put this into a really good looking PDF; the end of the PDF/ebook should link through to where the reader can purchase the full book (on Amazon or even on a sales page on your website). This way if it gets shared it still funnels people towards buying the full printed book having had a "taster".
   
   
3. use the PDF as a lead magnet to get people onto your email list, to encourage them to purchase the full physical book and to (if its appropriate for your business model) get them to join your private forum (as apposed to a private Facebook group). This way you can build a community of people, where you share knowledge from the book and the community itself can equally be used to generate revenue.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Try print on demand as a first try and back up with kindle at a later date if needed, dont worry about passing on to friends etc, it happens with all books and nobody has stopped it yet, if nothing else it gets free marketing for the book version which should make more profit