Seattle tax opposed by Amazon will likely be rescinded

[madville]

Source: AP

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle city leaders say they'll work to repeal a tax passed just last month on businesses such as Amazon and Starbucks designed to help pay for homeless services and affordable housing.

Amazon and other businesses had sharply criticized the levy, and the online retail giant even temporarily halted construction planning on a new high-rise building near its Seattle headquarters in protest.

Mayor Jenny Durkan and seven of the nine City Councilmembers said in a statement Monday that an expected November referendum challenge to the tax would be "a prolonged, expensive political fight" and that the council will this week consider legislation to rescind the tax.

The City Council unanimously passed a plan in May that taxed businesses making at least $20 million in gross revenues about $275 per full-time worker each year. It would have raised roughly $48 million a year for housing and homeless services.


Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/seattle-tax-opposed-amazon-likely-195828848.html

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That didn't last too long, guess money talks

[pansypoo53219]

1. too much power. they need to be more civic.

[maxsolomon]

2. Christ on a Crutch

Do something about the Homelessness Crisis! It's out of control!

OK, but this is the only means we have to raise revenue.

ANYTHING BUT THAT!

OK, sorry, lets do nothing then.

NO FIX IT WITH THE EXISTING INADEQUATE FUNDING!

[LisaM]

3. Amazon has an iron grip on this town.

Someone needs to tell them NO.

We also desperately need a state income tax. Regular citizens and home owners are already taxed beyond belief, yet the city is entering a homeless crisis. I could go on about the lack of rent control and the evictions as affordable housing is knocked down, but at this point who's going to listen?

[stuffmatters]

4. Tho its HQed in Seattle, Amazon is incorporated elsewhere. They pay no taxes to Seattle

This is the basic outrage. Apparently Amazon contribute nothing in taxes towards the infrastructure of their own Hometown

And when asked to pay a tiny amount towards even something as humane as lessening human suffering in Seattle, Amazon revolted
unilaterally. Perhaps if Seattle had immortalized this tax based program for the homeless as the "Jeff Bezos Fund". Amazon might have
allowed the enforcement of this pittance upon their wealth. Dubious, of course,since tax evasion has always been fundamental to their business model. But these billionaires do occasionally fund stuff they can slap their name on and get the vanity pay off.

[LisaM]

5. They act outrageously, and I can't get most of my friends to boycott them.

Even here, in Seattle, where the quality of life has eroded for anyone not making over $100,000, people still continue to use them! Why? Is convenience worth moving your moral compass?

[stuffmatters]

6. It's such an outrage, so widespread. Silicon Valley beheamoths rip off Ca billions per year.

Yet my relatives in San Jose, Cupertino etc, they worship these companies, brag about the billions spent on "spaceship" HQs etc,
even tho they are essentially paying their civic taxes for them in order to keep their essential tax funded services funded.

The corporate tax laws in this country are obscene and are destroying our safety,our quality of life and essentially our democracy. .

[MichMan]

7. I didn't know they paid no taxes

I would have thought they paid property taxes and their employees paid city income taxes.


If not, I would increase the "homeless tax" tenfold. Sounds like Seattle would be better off if they moved out then

[stuffmatters]

8. I suspect they have a corp golden waiver on prop tax; their employees paying tax is not relevant

Sounds like you approve of this Corp founded& HQed in Seattle, incorporating in Delaware or a foreign tax haven, & dodging paying their fair share towards the public services & needs of the community. Not even coughing up a pittance via taxes for helping to assuage the human suffering of homelessness and public health danger (n.b. San Diego & hepatitis) that they have significantly effected.. Sounds like you believe in Corps Rule no matter what. Even for the homeless. Sounds like you think corporations should not pay corp taxes at all. Sounds like you're all aboard the corporate welfare train.

[MichMan]

9. If indeed they offer no benefit to Seattle....why rescind the tax?

According to the Seattle Times

"Amazon paid about $250 million in state and local taxes in Washington for 2017, according to a person at the company familiar with the data, a disclosure that comes as the retailer fights back against a Seattle City Council proposal that would tax big companies based on their number of employees."

<snip>

"Washington, which has no personal or corporate income tax, primarily funds programs through a sales tax tacked on to the cost of goods and services. For big companies, though, the B&O tax —levied on gross-receipts of goods sold in the state or attributed to activity there — is often the largest component of their direct payments to state coffers."

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-paid-250-million-in-washington-state-and-local-taxes-in-2017-source-says/

[stuffmatters]

11. It quite clearly states clearly Amazon doesb't pay B&O (corperate tax on sales) only sales tax

Apparently more honest , responsible and small busineses and corps in WA do, .Amazon uses all Seattle's resources, HQers there, but tax dodges by incorporating in Delaware or foreign countries

In WA even impoverished homeless people pay sales tax when they buy something. Amazon apparently feels it has no other tax obligation than to pay this same type of tax that even homeless people must. And God forbid Bezos might feel a tinge of responsibility to contribute even towards this particular tax for which Amazon itself substantially created a desperate need. .

Your question is pretty "trickle down ish." I guess in your politics Corporations (the Repub Omnipotent Job Creators) should just
remain subsidized by working taxpayers, by increasing the federal debt and by increasing the class savagery of austerity.

We're on way different pages and planets on this issue..

[MichMan]

13. I don't know why you keep stating I favor them not paying taxes

I have said nothing of the sort and have repeated it multiple times.

If as you say, they offer NOTHING to Seattle and are a cancer on the city, then jack up their taxes so they pay their fair share. If they don't like it they can move to another state. I'll say it again; raise their taxes; nothing is stopping Seattle and Washington from doing so, but themselves.

Nearly every major corporation is incorporated in Delaware. I don't think it means what you think it does regarding taxes. General Motors is incorporated there, but they pay a lot of taxes in Michigan.

Detroit was lobbying very hard for a 2nd Amazon HQ. I'm sure they would wwelcome them with open arms

[stuffmatters]

14. Look at what you wrote. I'm done here.

There's already another thread up on this. Go there with your nonsensical "job creators" arguments, concern trolling.

[DeminPennswoods]

10. Bezos is the richest man in the world

He should be relentlessly shamed.

[melman]

12. It's a disgrace

Bezos is a fucking asshole.