On the advice of Rebecca Madigan, the executive director of the Performance Marketing Association, who has been lobbying hard on all our behalf, I sent another round of emails to the Colorado House Democrat Representatives just now:

Dear Representative,

I strongly oppose HB-1193, the affiliate nexus tax bill. If this bill passes, the state will NOT gain additional taxes, and my small business income will be drastically reduced in the process.

Part of my income is earned by selling advertising on my blogs. This includes affiliate links to vendors like Amazon.com on products I review and recommend. Every time one of my readers clicks on a link to Amazon – and makes a purchase on their site – I make a small commission. I only recommend and review products. I do not sell them directly to my readers and have nothing to do with any transaction. I do not collect their money or deliver a product. In fact, I never know who does the shopping on Amazon – only what they buy. Bottom line: I review and recommend products and refer traffic to Amazon through their affiliate program. That is it.

In addition, as a social media consultant, I teach Colorado freelance writers and bloggers how to use affiliate programs to earn an income. This modest income stream gives them the ability to earn money while working from home. This is very important for freelancers who do not have steady income, parents of young children, people with health issues who can’t work traditional jobs, and caregivers for sick and elderly relatives.

Also, as a former Weld County charter school board president, my school earned fundraising money through affiliate links that helped pay for essential classroom supplies. Many other non-profit agencies also use affiliate programs to raise money.

If HB-1193 passes, out-of-state retailers for whom I advertise and link to will terminate our partnership. Overstock.com has already given notice to Colorado affiliates that they will terminate if this law passes. When similar laws were passed in New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island, over 200 retailers terminated their affiliate programs, and many have promised to do the same in Colorado.

If these retailers terminate my partnership, my income will be reduced and I will pay less income taxes. This law would be futile: Colorado will not collect any new sales taxes, and my business will experience a loss in the process. A lose-lose for us both!

I respectfully request you reject HB-1193.

Best,

Anne-Marie Nichols

Anne-Marie Nichols
Social Media Consultant
The Write Spot, LLC

Here’s the list of Democratic representative in case you want to send your own letter. Rebecca stresses that you need to send your email TODAY before mid-day.

District – Representative - Email

• 1 Jeanne Labuda - [email protected]
• 2 Mark Ferrandino - [email protected]
• 3 Daniel Kagan - [email protected]
• 4 Jerry Frangas - [email protected]
• 5 Joel Judd - [email protected]
• 6 Lois Court - [email protected]
• 7 Speaker Terrance Carroll- [email protected]
• 8 Beth M
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