Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law California's tax on Internet sales through affiliate advertising which will immediately cut small-business website revenue 20% to 30%, experts say.
The bill, AB 28X, takes effect immediately. The state Board of Equalization says the tax will raise $200 million a year, but critics claim it will raise nothing because online retailers will end their affiliate programs rather than collect the tax.
Amazon has already emailed its termination of its affiliate advertising program with 25,000 websites.
Story here. And from Colorado last year...
In response to recent legislation in Colorado (HB 10-1193), Amazon.com has sent a letter to its affiliates in Colorado informing them that the on-line sales giant will no longer be advertising through businesses in the state that that make money by referring buyers.
As we economists tirelessly point out, people respond to incentives. Methinks the California state Board of Equalization (what an odd title for a tax-collecting board) made an erroneous assumption about Cally's current position on the Laffer Curve with respect to tax revenues from affiliate advertising.