‘Blog tax’ targeted for change by Council

City Councilman Bill Green — along with 15 co-sponsors — introduced a bill that would “exempt people engaged in hobbies or other not-for-profit activity from having to obtain a business privilege license or pay the business privilege tax,” which costs $50 annually or $300 lifetime. He said publicity from the issue of taxing bloggers “highlighted the ways in which our tax and licensing structure is overly burdensome and outdated.” If passed, it would enable those who blog but “make $11 from Google ads” to sign a sworn statement sent out with the tax notifications.

Councilmen James Kenney and Frank DiCicco were those not co-sponsoring.