She wasn't blogging as her main source of income! That's the whole entire point that people seem to be missing! Paying or not paying taxes isn't at issue here!
From TFA:
Between her blog and infrequent contributions to ehow.com, over the last few years she says she’s made about $50. To [Marilyn] Bess, her website is a hobby.
It's a HOBBY. She isn't trying to make a business at of this. The intent in this case is VERY important.
No one is saying "she shouldn't have to pay taxes". We're talking about a business privilege license. Not the same thing (not exactly).
The movie industry makes tons of profit (though theaters generally only see real profit off of concessions), especially from royalty payments off of distribution through video (tv, dvd, direct distribution via Internet (dvd and downloads)).
She has ads on her site that don't pay the hosting bill for a year (cheapest hosting per month I've seen is $4.95/month, at 11 months you've exceeded that $50).
The owners and operators of a business have as one of their main objectives the receipt or generation of a financial return in exchange for work and acceptance of risk.
If her main objective was to generate income (which by virtue of making only $50 over two years it is clear it wasn't) then yes, she should get a business "privilege" license. If that was her main objective, she needs a course in business management as she was getting a crappy return on the investment of her time and other resources. If, on the other hand, it's only a money-making hobby (which she was hoping it could be, I imagine), than no. This is just more government thuggery.
Are you sure? Last time I filled out my 1040ez the form said I didn't need to report any income under $20K (though that might have been in regard to gifts now that I think of it).
She isn't blogging for money. The ad revenue is tertiary to the blogging. After two years it hasn't even paid for the hosting account if she's using a web host like Blue Host.
Paying taxes isn't at issue. It's whether or not she needs to have a business license for her blog which generated gross profits of $50 over TWO YEARS.
That is an issue that needs to be addressed first and foremost by changing the law so that these private companies can do those things. Otherwise it won't be 20 year blight on the agency, but a 20 year blight for the entire nation (at least in this area).
The only problem is that companies like SpaceX (purely anecdotal evidence here) are not interested in hiring the NASA folks. They want the "top 2%" of applicants. Most of those top 2% aren't the people that know what the heck is going on.
That's an issue in and of itself. Personally, I want people who know what's going on. A college degree means you know how to learn from books.
I too got severance pay. Unfortunately, it was based on 2 weeks of work (I was rehired after working elsewhere for a year, had I stayed I would have had 3 years of work for that package to have been based on UGH).
This is exactly the reason that restaurants and other companies don't tell employees about plant or store closures until the last moment. It's not entirely fair to the workers, but many would rather find a new job quickly instead of being unemployed. I was out of work for nearly 2 months (and even then I was lucky in finding new work) when the restaurant I worked out told us 5 minutes before we walked out the door for the evening that we wouldn't be open in the morning.
I imagine those these folks working for NASA have skills that the private space agencies will definitely want and I wouldn't be surprised to see most of these guys going to work the next day for one of those companies.
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She wasn't blogging as her main source of income! That's the whole entire point that people seem to be missing! Paying or not paying taxes isn't at issue here!
From TFA:
Between her blog and infrequent contributions to ehow.com, over the last few years she says she’s made about $50. To [Marilyn] Bess, her website is a hobby.
It's a HOBBY. She isn't trying to make a business at of this. The intent in this case is VERY important.
No one is saying "she shouldn't have to pay taxes". We're talking about a business privilege license. Not the same thing (not exactly).
The movie industry makes tons of profit (though theaters generally only see real profit off of concessions), especially from royalty payments off of distribution through video (tv, dvd, direct distribution via Internet (dvd and downloads)).
She has ads on her site that don't pay the hosting bill for a year (cheapest hosting per month I've seen is $4.95/month, at 11 months you've exceeded that $50).
And it's ads, not adds.
BS. Blogging is a hobby at best, especially when you make $50 off of it over TWO years from something that is tertiary to you blogging.
So now any blog serving up ads is a business? What if you don't personally see any revenue from that? Is it still a business?
No, this isn't a business. This is a hobby that pays (and even at that it only pays very, very little).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business
No, because Wikipedia says so :p
The owners and operators of a business have as one of their main objectives the receipt or generation of a financial return in exchange for work and acceptance of risk.
If her main objective was to generate income (which by virtue of making only $50 over two years it is clear it wasn't) then yes, she should get a business "privilege" license. If that was her main objective, she needs a course in business management as she was getting a crappy return on the investment of her time and other resources. If, on the other hand, it's only a money-making hobby (which she was hoping it could be, I imagine), than no. This is just more government thuggery.
Either way, $50 is way under $600.
Are you sure? Last time I filled out my 1040ez the form said I didn't need to report any income under $20K (though that might have been in regard to gifts now that I think of it).
The blogger referenced in the submission is running a personal blog.
Technically the IRS doesn't require you to report income under $20k IIRC
She isn't blogging for money. The ad revenue is tertiary to the blogging. After two years it hasn't even paid for the hosting account if she's using a web host like Blue Host.
Paying taxes isn't at issue. It's whether or not she needs to have a business license for her blog which generated gross profits of $50 over TWO YEARS.
That's a bunch of crap.
running ads on a website does not make one a business.
No, this is ridiculous. I hope she fights this in court and doesn't capitulate.
That is an issue that needs to be addressed first and foremost by changing the law so that these private companies can do those things. Otherwise it won't be 20 year blight on the agency, but a 20 year blight for the entire nation (at least in this area).
The only problem is that companies like SpaceX (purely anecdotal evidence here) are not interested in hiring the NASA folks. They want the "top 2%" of applicants. Most of those top 2% aren't the people that know what the heck is going on.
That's an issue in and of itself. Personally, I want people who know what's going on. A college degree means you know how to learn from books.
ah.
Either way, completely lame and removes any incentive to do a good job.
bad translators
Must be taking notes from Obama.
Their citizens can get on the Internets?
I knew those names were familiar. Hilarious movie. (:
have you seen Waiting...
agreed.
I too got severance pay. Unfortunately, it was based on 2 weeks of work (I was rehired after working elsewhere for a year, had I stayed I would have had 3 years of work for that package to have been based on UGH).
You can get fired in France? I was under the impression that it was legally impossible to get fired.
This is exactly the reason that restaurants and other companies don't tell employees about plant or store closures until the last moment. It's not entirely fair to the workers, but many would rather find a new job quickly instead of being unemployed. I was out of work for nearly 2 months (and even then I was lucky in finding new work) when the restaurant I worked out told us 5 minutes before we walked out the door for the evening that we wouldn't be open in the morning.
I imagine those these folks working for NASA have skills that the private space agencies will definitely want and I wouldn't be surprised to see most of these guys going to work the next day for one of those companies.