FTC to go after bloggers - but it's an AP article so I can't freaking link it!

[JurisDoctorOfDoom]

The point is, Matt, I have a habit of solving problems. The two ideas above, the self-assembling tidal barrage/mega-scale seawall, the method to help charities (and only charities) make billions while fighting global warming, peak oil and the credit crunch and addressing their other socio-economic development work (too late to try now)... these are my throwaway ideas. The ones I often come up with at the spur of the moment. They may solve something critical, they may be worth a lot of money to somebody, but they're not that critical to me personally, and I tend to put these kinds of innovations into the public domain pretty quickly if they're easily explained.

"Legend, meet own mind. Own mind, meet Legend."

[firewalker]

All states are chopping at the bit to get their sales taxes on internet sales.  Ohio has a place on the tax form for us to pay our sales taxes on any item purchased on the internet while in Ohio.  I'm guessing that plan is not working out all that well. 

Watch for multi-year prison sentences and mutli-million dollar pernalties.  States consider their sales taxes sacred and bailing on them by buying online will come to a halt. 

I think the US will have some kind of base National Sales Tax soon along the lines of a VAT.  I'm not sure how they would get that back to a state, but that will be the excuse to implement it though.  California is just trying the push the Fed's into doing something for the poor underprivledged states.  The peons have found a loophole and it needs filled with a few carcuses.

[Shaej]

Matt,

Perhaps this is a dumb question, but could you sell advertising space to a completely independent third party who compensated you based on some sort of a CPA model?

Or would selling ads based on anything other than CPM be considered a legal entanglement?

[Shaej]

This new law would say "you can have a business that is completely contained within the state of Vermont or Texas or Oregon or Idaho or wherever but if you have an ad on LATOC even just for a day and you happen to sell at least $10,000 of stuff to CA residents even if NONE of that was a result of the ad on LATOC, you're now subject to CA taxes for any and all sales you make to CA residents."

Sorry, just saw this post ...

This appears to be more insane than I thought. ><

[DirtFarmer]

Question:  Has Amazon terminated its agreements with affiliates in New York?

[Pariah]

Amazon Cuts Off Hawaii Affiliates

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124638801268074915.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

"Amazon.com Inc. has informed its marketing affiliates in Hawaii that it is ending its business with them in order to avoid collecting sales tax in the state."

[Jennifer]

If a goose lays golden eggs, why not kill it for dinner tonight?