Amazon Associates Program terminated in California immediately, no longer offering notice period

Amazon informed Californian users of the Amazon Associates program earlier today that they’d no longer be permitting Californians to participate by the end of September if the online retailer sales tax bill was made law. The governor today passed the bill, and Amazon says it has been forced to move the deadline up.

They aren’t wasting any time. As of today, June 29, 2011, Amazon says, Associates contracts with Californian residents are terminated.

If the governor was attempting to call Amazon’s bluff, it didn’t work. In grabbing for sales tax, the state has, it seems, eliminated a chunk of income tax.

Here’s the text of Amazon’s notification:

Hello,
Unfortunately, Governor Brown has signed into law the bill that we emailed you about earlier today. As a result of this, contracts with all California residents participating in the Amazon Associates Program are terminated effective today, June 29, 2011. Those California residents will no longer receive advertising fees for sales referred to Amazon.com, Endless.com, MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned before today will be processed and paid in full in accordance with the regular payment schedule.

You are receiving this email because our records indicate that you are a resident of California. If you are not currently a resident of California, or if you are relocating to another state in the near future, you can manage the details of your Associates account here. And if you relocate to another state in the near future please contact us for reinstatement into the Amazon Associates Program.

To avoid confusion, we would like to clarify that this development will only impact our ability to offer the Associates Program to California residents and will not affect your ability to purchase from Amazon.com, Endless.com, MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com.

We have enjoyed working with you and other California-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program and, if this situation is rectified, would very much welcome the opportunity to re-open our Associates Program to California residents. As mentioned before, we are continuing to work on alternative ways to help California residents monetize their websites and we will be sure to contact you when these become available.

Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team