Happy hour to defuse “Bloggergate”

Philadelphia tries to explain its tax policy to young creative types.

The confusion over a so-called Blogger Tax in Philadelphia has prompted the city to approach the city’s online community on their own turf. The regular Tuesday Happy Hour at a bar in Old City turned into a venue to explain false impressions of “Bloggergate.”

A noisy bar at 3rd and Market streets is not a typical a forum to debate city tax policy, but Philadelphia’s Department of Revenue hosted a Happy Hour here to explain that there is no blogger tax. However the city does ask any business based in Philadelphia to pay a tax on their profits, as well as get a license to operate said business inside the city, which has an annual cost of 50 dollars, or a one-time cost of $300.

Dave Dorman of the city revenue department said “Bloggergate” rumors have prompted the city to consider changes that would bring more people into compliance with tax law.

“I make $20 and I have to give you 300 – that’s what started this whole thing up. That started to get us to look at that – maybe we’ll get more people paying taxes if they don’t have to put up 300 bucks for a license.”

City officials have taken bloggergate seriously because it compromises efforts to attract a young creative people, many of whom operate blogs.