Microtalk Information
| Title | Virtual income: if and how to tax it |
| Presenter(s) | Anna Vvedenskaya |
| Session | Games in Education Contexts |
| Time | Thursday, October 13, 10:30a-11:30a |
| Location | Lake Ontario |
| Format | Microtalk |
| Description | The talk addresses the taxation issues of virtual income. It is unclear if these earnings should be taxed and, if so, how.
Virtual income seems non-taxable, as it has a virtual essence, and is earned and spent in virtual worlds. But users may also gain the ability to pay in the real world. Virtual earnings seem non-taxable unless they are cashed out, while real-world earnings are taxable. This breaches neutrality between these two types of earning and causes inequality. The talk questions if the existing tax system is sufficient for virtual income or if and how the guiding tax principles should be changed to reflect [virtual] reality. The talk promotes the diverse research and consciousness of tax effects of gaming experience. The author writes a Ph.D. on the interaction of taxation and videogames, publishes relevant papers, and regularly speaks at the conferences. |