August 23, 2010 | 12:50 PM | By

DC: Home of the Free…Bloggers

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Media, Blogs, Delightful City, Money
twobloggers

Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com / Flickr

Two bloggers, after Norman Rockwell

File this one under “Yet Another Way DC is Better”: in Philadelphia, niche bloggers are being asked to fork over $300 for a “Business Privilege License.”

Are you scratching your head? Me, too.

Even though small-time bloggers aren’t exactly raking in the dough, the city requires privilege licenses for any business engaged in any “activity for profit,” says tax attorney Michael Mandale of Center City law firm Mandale Kaufmann. This applies “whether or not they earned a profit during the preceding year,” he adds.

If Philly’s bloggers are feeling persecuted, I would humbly like to offer up DC as a saner alternative. We’re not perfect, but we’re also not targeting hobbyists who sometimes update their Blogspot.

About the author

DCentric was created to examine the ways race and class interact in Washington, D.C., a city with a vibrant mix of cultures and neighborhoods. Your guides to the changing district are reporters Anna John and Elahe Izadi. View all posts by Anna →