Greetings Citizens, Please note: this update applies only to backers living in the European Union. If you are elsewhere in the world, there are no store changes to announce.
Starting February 1st, 2015, Cloud Imperium Games will be launching a European publishing arm based in the United Kingdom, Roberts Space Industries International, Ltd. While Squadron 42 is being developed in Europe, the publishing side of the operation has always been located in the United States. The good news stemming from this change is that we will now be closer to our many European customers (and able to establish community and customer service operations in dedicated areas) and will be able to ride out some of the exchange rate fluctuations troubling multinational sales operations.
The downside of this organizational change is that starting on February 1st, we will be required to charge VAT on all purchases (including digital goods) made through the Roberts Space Industries International website, similar to how we must charge sales tax on items sold in Texas and California. And as you may have read in the press, as of 2015 every seller has to charge the rate applicable in the country of the purchaser. This means that in the coming days, the effective rate for European backers will go up depending on the VAT rate of their home country. We know that European backers are familiar with VAT, and likely have already encountered these charges on goods purchased elsewhere online. We wish there were an alternative to charging the tax, but also believe that it is in our best interest to expand Star Citizen’s footprint to a part of the world that has proven to be truly passionate about space games!
We are informing you today, with two weeks before the switch on Feb 1, in case you have been waiting to purchase a ship or package at the current rates. By popular request, we will make a selection of limited edition and wave two ships available again during the week of January 26, in case there’s a past favorite you missed out on and would like to pick up before the international publishing switches over to RSI. Please check this space on the 26th for a list of available ships.