Forum Moderators: skibum
Please email your your California state assembly members and state senators and let them know that the "Amazon Tax" will put you out of business or force you to move.
You can look up your Assembly members and Senators at:
[assembly.ca.gov...]
Click on the "Find My District" link.
To be most affective you should probably email and call. At the very least email.
Sure wouldn't hurt revisiting as NC is now doing the same thing:
[webmasterworld.com...]
[edited by: tedster at 4:43 am (utc) on June 21, 2009]
[edit reason] link fix [/edit]
[edited by: LifeinAsia at 5:18 pm (utc) on June 22, 2009]
How many other merchants will follow? It would be nice if California could learn from NY's mistake.
<Added>
Link with the PDF from Amazon to Gov. Schwarzenegger:
[techflash.com...]
</Added>
How would this affect publishers who use AdSense on blogs or other sites.
Republicans and the Govenator have promised to vote against/veto any budget that includes new taxes.
However, political promises mean nothing. And they can always weasel around the issue saying that it's not a new tax- just a new way of collecting an existing tax.
When would the law go into effect
and
Would every single advertiser out there (let's say in the Performics and CJ system) systematically bar working with California affiliates?
A bit confused as to what could possibly happen if the law goes into effect.
[gov.ca.gov...]
My faith in my government is ever so slowly
being restored. Millimeter by millimeter.
Does anyone "in the know" know if this is the end of it?
Or do we have to worry about another politician ignorantly supporting another tax bill like this?
North Carolina wasn't as lucky, emails have gone out to all affiliates. The same is happening in Hawaii though a veto may be in the works there too.
The so called affiliate nexus language is indeed in place and the rest of the states are watching closely, now is the time to act.
Commission Junction also sent out emails yesterday suggesting all California affiliates get in touch with their congressman immediately because of the most recent events (emergency measures).
Long edit but... California is hurting right now. Word came out this week of 27,000 prison inmates being released, police stations letting go of a good percentage of the police force, schools (including universities) receiving dramatic cuts to funding, state parks closing, even the possibility that pot will be made legal to own, use and sell by anyone over 21 to raise tax revenue.
It's bad in California right now and over the next few months, as layoffs to cover these massive budget cuts are rolled out, it's likely to get worse. Affiliate marketers may not be able to scream loudly enough to stop this given the sheer volume of people losing their jobs. 990,000 kids just lost State subsidized insurance coverage for example, affiliates are low on the totem and congress is pouncing.
UPDATE: Overstock reinstated Hawaii affiliates as well, California affiliates were temporarily let go but within 24 hours were also reinstated. Amazon, blue nile and overstock all promise to let California affiliates go if the bills succeed.
California is hurting right now. Word came out this week of 27,000 prison inmates being released, police stations letting go of a good percentage of the police force, schools....
Government bodies always do this sort of thing. When money is tight, they always cut or threaten to cut essential or "emotional" services that people want - police, fire, roads, schools, etc. They scream about having no money but don't mention the $10 million they are still planning to spend on the frog museum or whatever.
Here in NC, while our legislature and Governor are seeking to tax sales from Amazon and other online retailers because the state is "broke", the wife of the Governor who just left office in January was given a created six figure job at a state university, millions were given to Dolly Parton's brother to open a theater, etc.
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I wonder what the net gain in revenue to states will be if they gain the sales tax on online sales but lose the income tax on affiliate commissions?
If I am an affiliate of Amazon and I work to generate a sale and earn a commission, my state gets a cut of that via income tax and the state didn't do anything but stand there with her hand out. But that's not enough, she wants more. It's amazing how often you hear of people talking about greedy businesses or greedy "corporations" when government is the posterchild of greed.
FarmBoy
