The Beehive Asks: Should you pay to blog?
Well, here’s one way to make money off the Internet: the city of Philadelphia has started charging bloggers $300 for the privilege of documenting what they had for dinner, and how they felt about the ending of “Lost.”
The city reasons that any blog with the potential to make money is fair game, so they want a cut, demanding bloggers pay for a privilege business license, plus taxes on any profits they may have made from ads. The problem is, most blogs make little to no money at all — far less than the $300 charge — yet the city doesn’t care. Their reasoning: “simply choosing the option to make money from ads — regardless of how much or little money is actually generated — qualifies a blog as a business.”
What do you think? Is this a fair way for Philadelphia to raise capital? Should other cities, cities like Fresno that also are cash-strapped and have a blogging community, follow suit?
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Responses to "The Beehive Asks: Should you pay to blog?"
Ugh.
This is the kind of thing that makes small-government types not look so crazy.
A blog is not a business. Until it is. What is the official break-point, like tax wise, for something to be considered a business? Anything under that should be left alone.
I second Famous’s Ugh! I am also going to charge anyone who writes anything down and might let some one read it. You might sell it as a book some day and I want my cut.
When did we forget that government was designed to work for us and not the other way around?
If I mow laws (in the literal sense), and people pay me to mow lawns (again, in the literal sense), I *should* report the income, and pay taxes on it. And to charge people those happy landscaped customers, I *should* have a business license.
Are there plenty of people making money without paying taxes on it? Sure. Is it a lot of money? Usually not. Does that mean they can make up their own rules? I hope not.
That being said, I don’t think any entity should assume motive – if no ads are present, and posts aren’t sponsored (let’s hope they’re not), maybe the author just likes to write. And they should certainly give people a head’s up.
I don’t think this is going to last long when it ends up in court, both for constitutional and practical reasons. For one thing, how does Philadelphia prove that the physical location of a blog is within city limits?
Fresno bloggers need the proper permits!
If you want to be a blog that uses phrases like “WTF” or posts obscene material, you should have to obtain a permit that says your site is ONLY for people 21 and older.
Am I right, or am I right?
Shouldn’t this be classified as a WTF post?
dammit heather, don’t give them any ideas.
like james said earlier, i don’t have a problem with a city asking an actual business to have a permit, and if your blog is an actual business, alright. but, most of us losers are in our mom’s basement, furiously pounding away on a keyboard for no money.
I understand the logic behind the move but I would hope they exclude blogs that don’t run an ad platform.
Here is the kicker, no one is selling a physical product and no one is employing any one. So the need for a business license is questionable. At least under California law. We don’t need to have a business license to freelance or consult. You do have to pay taxes on the earnings but don’t have to be licensed.