Bloggers in Philadelphia are up in arms about what they’re calling an unfair tax.
The city’s so-called business privilege license costs $50 a year or $300 for a lifetime.
If a blog takes money for advertising, or sells photographs or other goods, it’s a business and must pay for a license — no matter how little it makes — plus taxes on profits.
A spokesman for Mayor Michael Nutter says it’s is nothing new and it applies to any revenue-making enterprise, from large corporations to neighborhood pizza joints and mom-and-pop businesses.
Some bloggers are complaining that the fee would impinge on their free speech and would discourage dissent. They also say it’s unfair to require business to pay taxes if they’re making only $25 or $50 a year.
