Etsy asked sellers to sign an online petition on the issue of Digital Service Taxes. The invitation came in the form of a post on its Announcement board on February 16th.
In the announcement, which follows, Etsy said it would continue to cover the costs of Digital Service Taxes at least until July:
As many of you may already know, a number of European countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Turkey, recently enacted Digital Service Taxes (DSTs). We understand this is the last thing you want to worry about, but since this can impact your bottom line, we want to invite you to join our advocacy for clear and simple tax policies.
Although intended to target digital giants, small businesses often bear the costs of DSTs, either in the form of higher fees or reduced investments, like marketing, that a platform can make in local communities.
We hope and expect the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to come to a fair and consistent multinational agreement before July. This new agreement would replace the need for individual digital taxes. Until then, we will continue to cover the cost of DSTs and let you know of any changes well in advance.
Sign the petition
“Although intended to target digital giants, small businesses often bear the costs of DSTs, either in the form of higher fees or reduced investments, like marketing, that a platform can make in local communities.”
Then let the giants pay for something for once without burdening the businesses.
Another fee grab to fatten their bottom line.
Last time anyone supported an argument against tax for big tech, the executives ran away when they lost, and decided to profit from the decision leaving sellers to pay the bill.
This is a hollow request by corporate to make it look like they are on our side when in fact they cant wait to abuse another policy for more money.
Their idea of ‘partnership’ is more like an agreement with government to milk more money by making another “law” so they can hide behind stealing it.
After all of the broken trust to the people who built these sites by becoming sellers, if corporate goes bankrupt because of their evil and selfish decisions, so be it. Many businesses have been closed and leveled in their wake, and in my opinion, corporate going bankrupt still wont be considered as rectified.
Now all of the employees and management can still do nothing without getting excessively overpaid for it.