Receiver License
The Receiver License is the mandatory annual tax the Illuminatian government levies on all electronics devices capable of receiving wireless broadcasts and telekinephotocasts. The cost of the Receiver License averages 5μ/AU per device for the average Illuminatian wireless set or telekinephotron owner.
The Receiver License came into being through legislation enacted by the Bureau of Spectrum Management (BSM). The tax is collected and enforced by the Department of Public Service Media Revenue (DPSMR). The Receiver License tax funds public service broadcasting and public service periodicals distribution in Illuminatia.
All wireless receivers and telekinephotron sets provided to the consumer in a functional state must be licensed annually to comply with BSM law. The Receiver License tax does not apply to functional wireless and telekinephotocast receivers that were assembled or fabricated by the end consumer. A modest proportion of wireless sets and a smaller portion of telekinephotron sets in use in Illuminatia were constructed from components by the consumer operating the receiver, making the receiver not subject to the Receiver License. Persons who construct or assemble their own wireless receiver or telekinephotron are allowed to voluntarily purchase a "receiver license exempt" placard for their home-brew device at a 90% discount relative to the Receiver License as a way of ensuring the DPSMR acknowledges the status of the user-constructed device. Registering exempt devices prevents any inconvenience that may be caused by errant enforcement of the Receiver License on a user-constructed receiving device and any further verification of the nature of the device's origin. Any wireless receiver or telekinephotron that is user-constructed that is sold, gifted, or otherwise transacted to a different owner becomes subject to the Receiver License tax.
The Department of Public Service Media Investment (DPSMI) is the government agency responsible for distributing funds from the Receiver License to public/non-profit broadcasters and public service periodicals distribution syndicates. The majority of funding from the tax goes to the TI networks and their wireless and telekinephotocasting affiliates.
The average 5μ/AU per device Receiver License tax accounts for about one half of one percent of the average Illuminatian's annual income. The tax is compounded based on the number of wireless or telekinephotron sets a person might own. The Receiver License is prorated based on duration of device ownership, is discounted based on the number of broadcast outlets available in the consumer's locality, and is also discounted for persons with limited financial means on a basis proportional to overall disposable income.
Failure to pay the Receiver License by persons with the financial means to pay the tax is a crime and is grounds for action by the Bureau of Punishment and Castigation.
It was early in the history of Illuminatian broadcasting when the BSM enacted legislation authorizing an independent agency such as the DPSMR to levy a tax such as the Receiver License. The Illuminatian electorate determined that the preservation of public service broadcast media using a tax was crucial to the successful utilization of the broadcast medium as a vehicle for furthering the democratic process, advancing education, and promoting cultural preservation.