PSP gets taxed in California

Charles Starrett • Mar 21, 2005 • Comments ()

Kotaku has a story on an extra fee placed on the PSP in the state of California. Under Cali's Electronic Waste Recycling Act, which went into effect July 1, 2004, all devices that have an LCD that is 4-inches (diagonally)...

Kotaku has a story on an extra fee placed on the PSP in the state of California. Under Cali's Electronic Waste Recycling Act, which went into effect July 1, 2004, all devices that have an LCD that is 4-inches (diagonally) or bigger need to have an environmental hazards fee ($6 dollars) charged at sale to cover the disposal of all of that lead and other toxins in the display. Apparently the game stores aren't aware of the fee, which could lead to large fines later.

"Under the law, retailers could face a $2,500 to $5,000 fine for ever PSP sold without the fee. A $25,000 fine can also be imposed against the manufacturer for failing to comply with the law as well."

Update: 1Up.com is reporting that Sony claims to not be subject to the fee. "We are not currently required to collect a fee as the PSP is a dedicated display device (not a separate computer monitor or CRT display)," says Patrick Seybold, a public relations representative for Sony Computer Entertainment America.