Taxing online ads sold by Facebook, Google? Rep. Mostafa Bakry is planning to draft legislation that would compel social media platforms to pay taxes on advertising they sell in Egypt. Bakry tells Youm7 that his proposed bill — which primarily takes aim at Facebook and Twitter, as well as Google — would level the playing field between print and electronic media, since the former is subject to stamp tax and income tax in Egypt. The MP apparently found inspiration in a similar measure discussed by European Union states earlier this year. Our take: Make Google, Facebook and others charge VAT here on ad sales and abolish the stamp tax on advertising.

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