Help us Lobby Against CA AB 178 - Affiliate Sales Tax

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks for the heads up. I've been focused on North Carolina and didn't know this was back on the table.

[undoIT]

Here is the email from Linkshare. It provides an email template and list of important people to contact:

Dear California Affiliate Marketer,

You may remember the grass-roots campaign we waged in April, to defeat an anti-affiliate tax bill that would have a detrimental effect on affiliate programs. Even though we defeated that bill, it has been revived, in a desperate hope to help California's budget crisis. The bill was originally defeated thanks to the affiliate community in California, who was responsible for convincing the sponsoring committee that this bill was a bad idea. Now it is time to repeat that stellar effort, because we have a few more people to convince.

Below is a list of influential people who need to hear from you. There is an email template for your use too, it contains the information we believe will be the most influential. Adding a brief sentence or 2 that describes your business is all you need to write. Please copy and paste that email and send to the names and addresses listed here.

Time is critical - the legislators may send their recommendation to the governor this week. Please send your emails immediately.

Many thanks for your continued fight!

Performance Marketing Alliance
Performance Marketing Alliance

senator lois wolk - senator.wolk at sen.ca.gov
senator darrell steinberg - senator.steinberg at sen.ca.gov
senator elaine alquist - senator.alquist at sen.ca.gov
senator roderick wright - senator.wright at sen.ca.gov
senator ronald calderon - senator.calderon at sen.ca.gov
senator gloria negrete mc leod - senator.mcleod at sen.ca.gov
senator lou correa - - senator.correa at sen.ca.gov
senator denise ducheny - senator.ducheny at sen.ca.gov
Jennifer Kent. Jennifer.kent at gov.ca.gov (she is the governor's tax advisor please address to "Ms. Kent")

COPY INTO EMAIL AND SEND TO THESE SENATORS

Subject: OPPOSITION to Sales/Use Tax Nexus Bill (AB 178 Skinner)

Dear Senator [Insert Last Name]

I am a small business owner with a website, and I am in strong opposition to Sales/Use Tax Nexus Bill (AB 178 Skinner), which would require retailers that receive referrals from advertising on websites, such as mine, to collect sales tax in California.

I am opposed to this bill because it would substantially harm my small business by reducing a large source of revenue that I depend on to survive. This revenue results from providing advertising on my website on behalf of out-of-state retailers. [Describe briefly how your business model is set-up and what you contribute to the local economy.]

If retailers believe that doing business with me will result in their having to collect sales tax on all California sales, they likely will sever ties with my business, putting the viability of my business at risk. Such was the case in New York State where Overstock dismantled its affiliates program and hundreds of other business followed Overstock's example. This left thousands of small- and medium-sized affiliate businesses with a 50% loss of income.

Unfortunately, this bill is futile. If enacted, retailers will drop me as a partner, California won't collect sales tax as a result - and my business will be devastated in the process.

For these reasons, I respectfully oppose this legislation.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

[Linda Buquet]

undoIT,

Thanks so much for posting that to help all the Californians fight this bill!

[Linda Buquet]

I blogged about this, this morning with quite a bit of extra information.

California Anti-Affiliate Advertising Tax Revived

California affiliates and merchants need to show your opposition.