With historically low real estate prices, now is probably a great time to move to California.  And if you move soon you’ll still take advantage of tax-free satellite TV. The Cable TV industry is trying to persuade California Legislature to levy a tax on Direct TV.

Cable advocates in Sacramento want lawmakers to add a 5% tax on satellite service to match the 5% franchise fee that cable companies pay to string or bury their wires across public property and into homes.

Cable companies say it would only be fair.

Satellite companies like Directv disagree, saying such a tax discriminates against over 3 million customers of Direct TV in California, especially in rural areas not served by cable.  Satellite providers shouldn’t be punished with a tax because they use innovative technology and don’t have to dig up the streets or people’s backyards, DirecTV says.

DirectTV has made moving easier and inexpensive by allowing their subscribers to take their cable with them from one residence to another. So whether a subscriber is moving down the street or subscribing to direct TV in Texas and plans to have direct TV in Florida, the transfer is easy. The same goes for direct TV in New York or any other state for that matter.