Here is an interesting look at how a government can go a bit overboard in taxes. Source is the Christian Science Monitor, hardly a right wing rag.
The new Sony Playstation 4 will cost $ 399 which works out to around $ 430-440 with taxes, depending on your locality
In Brazil the costs are as follows
- $468 base cost of PS4 upon arrival in Brazil
- $445 in federal excise taxes
- $147 in federal social taxes
- $446 for state taxes
So before we have included a profit margin for the retailer we have more than tripled the cost just via government taxes. It would literally be cheaper to fly to the US, spend the weekend, buy a PS4 here and fly home.