Deaths and Taxes

A great many words will be written and spoken about the “march” today in Washington, Not much about last night’s powerful and poignant silent protest. A little background. Since the grand jury verdicts on police involved deaths, there have been daily peaceful protests in Washington. Some organized with large numbers of participants. Some with just a handful people. I happen to see these because they are occurring near where I work.

 

Friday night during rush hour, a silent vigil with candles and signs the length of 16^th street (which runs some 8 miles from Lafayette Square at the back of the White House to the Maryland DC line and beyond.) There were no speeches or chanting. Just people standing singly or in groups, some with signs, most with candles, torches, or oil lamps. Luminarias lined the pavements north of where I live. It belied the cheer of the holiday season lights twinkling from windows, balconies and house fronts and accompanied by drivers honking their support and the ringing of bells from supporting houses of worship.

On January 1^st, a new EU VAT regulation will go into effect from small digital service and content providers. This law will require them to collect, pay, and retain transaction records for all sales to EU countries regardless of local sales or VAT regulation. For example, if I sell to an EU country, I would be required to collect and pay the tax required in that country. This will affect all small traders selling digital products like patterns, e-books and e-courses as well as small web hosting businesses.

Here are some links for more information:
http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/25/eus-new-vatmoss-rules-could-create-a-vatmess-for-startups/
http://euvataction.org/2014/12/12/vat-a-mess-new-eu-tax-rules-set-to-close-small-businesses/

Please sign the petition:

https://www.change.org/p/pierre-moscovici-a-unilateral-suspension-of-the-introduction-of-the-new-eu-vat-laws-for-micro-businesses-and-sole-traders