California’s state government is suffering from a severe budget crisis and is desperate for money. In an attempt to scrounge up some urgently needed funds, California congress is reconsidering a bill which it tabled earlier this year, the California online sales tax bill AB178 (read our post from March 2009). Naturally, affiliates based out of California, are up in arms about this proposed tax, and are making themselves heard, and we in New York, wanted to bring attention to their protests.
Affiliate Marketing Navigator has written a few articles that provide a clear description of the bill, its implications for affiliates, and what people are doing to protest. According to these articles implications include the likely termination of California-based affiliates by merchants who don’t want to or cannot financially support the new tax, causing many affiliates to go out of business. For more information check out http://www.amnavigator.com/blog/2009/03/25/meaning-of-ca-bill-ab-178-for-affiliates/.
Sources say that the budget bill, which has been rewritten to include the anti-affiliate advertising tax language, could be voted on as early as this week, so those affiliates and merchants in opposition to the bill, have to act fast. In a post on Affiliate (Tip), Shawn Collins explains how twitter is being used aggressively by affiliates to vocalize their protest. Concerned affiliates everywhere are making their opinions known. If this bill passes in California, it could easily be adopted by other states, so affiliate advertisers throughout the country are coming together to fight the bill before it is passed.
To learn more about how you can get involved to stop California lawmakers from passing this bill, check out http://caaffiliates.blogspot.com/. One of the most important things you can do is contact your local representative. Also make sure to blog about it, tweet about it, email about it, and talk about it. Don’t underestimate the power of your online social networks! Remember that this bill doesn’t just affect California-based affiliates.
[...] this summer, Direct Agents posted an article about the proposed California State advertising tax and how it would affect affiliate advertisers. We are excited to say that due largely to the [...]