Comments on: Amazon Dumps Hawaii Affiliates http://www.hawaiiweblog.com/2009/06/30/amazon-hawaii-affiliates Blogging the Aloha State and Beyond Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:36:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Gary http://www.hawaiiweblog.com/2009/06/30/amazon-hawaii-affiliates/comment-page-1#comment-37004 Gary Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:24:56 +0000 http://www.hawaiiweblog.com/?p=1868#comment-37004 Looks like it was killed. Amazon sent me a email saying to activate my account to resume since bill was veto. Looks like it was killed. Amazon sent me a email saying to activate my account to resume since bill was veto.

]]> By: Vern | IncAnswers http://www.hawaiiweblog.com/2009/06/30/amazon-hawaii-affiliates/comment-page-1#comment-35320 Vern | IncAnswers Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:40:32 +0000 http://www.hawaiiweblog.com/?p=1868#comment-35320 This is a really scary idea that I hope doesn't catch on to the other 47 states. I just inc'ed my business, Aim for Awesome, Inc. in Hawaii a few months ago. Can you imagine if this spreads to all states - effectively killing all affiliate accounts because what company is going to want to deal with the hassle of taking taxes out of affiliate income? They're picking a great time to destroy the little guy's online business. Hope it blows over - vetos and then bonfire the whole idea. This is a really scary idea that I hope doesn’t catch on to the other 47 states. I just inc’ed my business, Aim for Awesome, Inc. in Hawaii a few months ago.

Can you imagine if this spreads to all states – effectively killing all affiliate accounts because what company is going to want to deal with the hassle of taking taxes out of affiliate income?

They’re picking a great time to destroy the little guy’s online business. Hope it blows over – vetos and then bonfire the whole idea.

]]> By: Linkmeister http://www.hawaiiweblog.com/2009/06/30/amazon-hawaii-affiliates/comment-page-1#comment-35071 Linkmeister Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:38:47 +0000 http://www.hawaiiweblog.com/?p=1868#comment-35071 As I said at <a href="http://www.linkmeister.com/blog/archives/003627.html" rel="nofollow">my place</a>: "Sucks to be you, Hawai'i bloggers with Amazon affiliate accounts. You'll just have to pay your (probably Mainland-based) web hosts out of pocket, rather than with the small commissions you earned from sales through that program." As I said at my place: “Sucks to be you, Hawai’i bloggers with Amazon affiliate accounts. You’ll just have to pay your (probably Mainland-based) web hosts out of pocket, rather than with the small commissions you earned from sales through that program.”

]]> By: Dave http://www.hawaiiweblog.com/2009/06/30/amazon-hawaii-affiliates/comment-page-1#comment-35020 Dave Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:36:21 +0000 http://www.hawaiiweblog.com/?p=1868#comment-35020 I don't know what kind of incremental tax revenue Hawaii expects to receive by being banished from these programs which currently generate tax revenue through income tax. This is obviously one of those bone-headed, "Throw the baby out with the bathwater" types of things. I have heard misguided people say that this move is "Pro-Hawaii" but in reality, it only punishes local Hawaii webmasters while rewarding folks on the mainland who monetize Hawaii related websites. Its a real competitive disadvantage for people who live in Hawaii & nobody else. Brilliant! Its not just Amazon... Merchants who use LinkShare, Performics & Commission Junction to manage their affiliate programs usually dump there affiliates as well because of legislation like this. As far as I know... Merchants with affiliate programs have two options. A) Spend time and money to create and install complex collection systems to monitor a Hawaii specific Tax. (Are you crazy? Who is going to do that just for us?) B) Give Hawaii based webmasters the boot! (Wow! - That was easy!) It's not a joke or a bluff... It happened in New York. Hundreds of affiliate programs gave New York based webnasters the ax. Does anyone over here believe that Merchants will go out of their way to accommodate a tiny little state like Hawaii when they don't have even have the resources to accommodate a huge, revenue producing juggernaut like the state of New York? Seriously? Anyone? I don’t know what kind of incremental tax revenue Hawaii expects to receive by being banished from these programs which currently generate tax revenue through income tax.

This is obviously one of those bone-headed, “Throw the baby out with the bathwater” types of things.

I have heard misguided people say that this move is “Pro-Hawaii” but in reality, it only punishes local Hawaii webmasters while rewarding folks on the mainland who monetize Hawaii related websites. Its a real competitive disadvantage for people who live in Hawaii & nobody else. Brilliant!

Its not just Amazon… Merchants who use LinkShare, Performics & Commission Junction to manage their affiliate programs usually dump there affiliates as well because of legislation like this.

As far as I know… Merchants with affiliate programs have two options.

A) Spend time and money to create and install complex collection systems to monitor a Hawaii specific Tax. (Are you crazy? Who is going to do that just for us?)

B) Give Hawaii based webmasters the boot! (Wow! – That was easy!)

It’s not a joke or a bluff…

It happened in New York. Hundreds of affiliate programs gave New York based webnasters the ax.

Does anyone over here believe that Merchants will go out of their way to accommodate a tiny little state like Hawaii when they don’t have even have the resources to accommodate a huge, revenue producing juggernaut like the state of New York? Seriously? Anyone?

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