“Blogger tax” returns to City Council with amended proposal

Dubbed the “Blogger Tax,” Philadelphia’s business tax will come under review today as City Council weighs a bill that would lighten the burden for hobbyists (like bloggers) who aren’t out to make money on their endeavors.

Councilman Bill Green proposes exempting those “engaged in hobbies or other not-for-profit activity” from paying the tax after signing a sworn statement that more or less says they’re not in it for the money.

Green’s bill, as the Metro reports, would set the income bar at $3,000, which the councilman says is about the point where the city isn’t losing money by going after small-time tax payers. The current tax applies to all small businesses, and carries a $50 annual or $300 lifetime fee.

The tax became known as the “blogger tax” last summer when reports surfaced that bloggers earning a pittance from revenue methods like Google Ads were being chased by the city to pay the tax. The city countered that argument.