Actually read the article (the whole one on gaming) on my way to work this morning, quite well written and interesting.
JoJI wrote on Dec 14
th, 2011 at 11:06pm:
eh, I think for the most part taxing would be easy. Turbine could just add a sales tax to the point bundles.
I think the part of the article you are talking about was referring to an income tax not a sales tax. This would be on games like D3 and (Ithink) Eve online where its not against the ToS to trade ingame items for money. The major issue here would be everything else that goes along with the income tax.
ie investment deductions. what is my time worth, which can be written off if I was a business as an input into the profit. Losses can also be written off into the future. The IRS is already overwhelmed by just the Income tax in the US, adding the type of variables (and the ability to claim one thing, and have to prove it) that such a fluid video game system would provide would be very difficult. They are having a hard enough time with the constitutionally of requiring online businesses to collect sales taxes based on point of sale, that going thought with an income tax or even sales tax ingame will be a long way away.
More over, the video game industry is quite large and will strongly lobby against it. Consider the issues that a perma ban would raise. Without a court it could fly in the face of the constitutions ('illegal taking clause'). Let alone glitches such as ingredient bags diapering. The incentive to move off shore would be huge.
But never write off the ability of politicians to get their hands on your money.