Kickstarter Introduces 'Tariff Manager Tool' To Add Charges To Already Fully Funded Projects (404media.co) 33
An anonymous reader quotes a report from 404 Media: Here's an easy to understand example of how Donald Trump's tariffs on imported products have completely screwed small U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs: the crowdfunding site Kickstarter is introducing a "Tariff Manager tool" that will allow creators to add extra charges to projects that were already fully funded in order to deal with the higher and unexpected costs of the president's global trade war. "Over the past few weeks, we've been hard at work developing tariff-relevant resources to support our community. From guidance to help creators navigate rapidly changing policies, to tips on shipping logistics, and even information to help backers better understand the challenges creators are facing. Our focus has been supporting you through uncertain times, but we also know that information alone isn't always enough," Kickstarter said in a blog post published last week announcing the Tariff Manager tool. "Built specifically to address the financial challenges posed by U.S. import tariffs, Kickstarter's Tariff Manager is designed to give creators more control, flexibility, and transparency at one of the most critical phases of your journey: fulfillment."
Kickstarter's Tariff Manager will allow some creators to apply per-item surcharges which will appear as a separate line item on the payment page for people who backed their project. "We understand that asking backers to pay an additional fee -- especially after a campaign has ended -- can be sensitive," Kickstarter said. "If a backer chooses not to pay the tariff cost during the pledge manager process, they'll need to reach out to you directly." Backers can pay the additional fee to get the item they had already backed in order to still get it when it's ready. If they decline, the creator can issue them a refund, or find "another resolution," the blog post says. "While this tool helps offset rising costs, we recognize that every project and backer relationship is unique," Kickstarter said. "Our goal is to provide you with the flexibility and transparency necessary to navigate those conversations with clarity and care." "Creators continue to launch, adapt, and find success on Kickstarter, even as the external landscape shifts," a Kickstarter spokesperson told 404 Media. "We know creators are navigating a lot right now, and we're focused on giving them the tools and support to adjust as needed. Our role at Kickstarter is to help creators bring their projects to life, and that includes supporting them through moments of uncertainty. That's why we're doubling down on tools that help creators stay flexible and responsive: from our Tariff Manager within our integrated pledge manager -- which we're rolling out to all of our creators soon -- to offering 24-hour support and expanding educational resources."
Kickstarter's Tariff Manager will allow some creators to apply per-item surcharges which will appear as a separate line item on the payment page for people who backed their project. "We understand that asking backers to pay an additional fee -- especially after a campaign has ended -- can be sensitive," Kickstarter said. "If a backer chooses not to pay the tariff cost during the pledge manager process, they'll need to reach out to you directly." Backers can pay the additional fee to get the item they had already backed in order to still get it when it's ready. If they decline, the creator can issue them a refund, or find "another resolution," the blog post says. "While this tool helps offset rising costs, we recognize that every project and backer relationship is unique," Kickstarter said. "Our goal is to provide you with the flexibility and transparency necessary to navigate those conversations with clarity and care." "Creators continue to launch, adapt, and find success on Kickstarter, even as the external landscape shifts," a Kickstarter spokesperson told 404 Media. "We know creators are navigating a lot right now, and we're focused on giving them the tools and support to adjust as needed. Our role at Kickstarter is to help creators bring their projects to life, and that includes supporting them through moments of uncertainty. That's why we're doubling down on tools that help creators stay flexible and responsive: from our Tariff Manager within our integrated pledge manager -- which we're rolling out to all of our creators soon -- to offering 24-hour support and expanding educational resources."
Good luck (Score:5, Insightful)
The tariffs are announced at random intervals, through unofficial channels, and may or may not be collected at customs depending on whether they've received the official word or not.
The random intervals are more frequent than common shipping times, so good luck committing to a price with an unknown future surcharge.
Trump's tariffs are only good for absolutely destroying the ability of Americans to import anything. And for destroying long-standing trade agreements. They aren't going to replace income tax because that would require imports to continue so there's something to tariff.
The businesses will collect the money (Score:2)
Win win I suppose except for the massive decline in demand for their products, the fact that it's going to crash the entire US economy and the fact that it's painfully obvious this is just a national sales tax so they can cut taxes on the ultra wealthy.
And I want to emphasize that ultra-wealthy. If you've got a couple million bucks to your name your taxes are going up. And if you have less than that your taxe
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Trump's tariffs are only good for absolutely destroying the ability of Americans to import anything.
They don't do much for exporting either.
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That's generally a secondary effect though - as trading partners retaliate. The import tariffs themselves theoretically improve a nation's ability to export as they encourage domestic production.
You know, as wages drop to match those of the countries who have been doing your manufacturing to date. Which ALSO makes your newfound production more competitive for export, right up until those retaliatory tariffs are accounted for.
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That's generally a secondary effect though - as trading partners retaliate. The import tariffs themselves theoretically improve a nation's ability to export as they encourage domestic production.
You know, as wages drop to match those of the countries who have been doing your manufacturing to date. Which ALSO makes your newfound production more competitive for export, right up until those retaliatory tariffs are accounted for.
Now, one of the effects that people claim is that taxes are going to go way up for rank and file workers. But how are they going to pay more taxes when they are paid 3rd world wages?
The average salary in urban areas of China is 120,698 yuan per year ($16,600 USD) which is a little bit above the US minimum wage of $15,080 per year.
US Average salary is $61,984 per year. So it should be interesting, the results of all this on voters.
I would suggest to the Democrats that they come back to normalcy, resp
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>Now, one of the effects that people claim is that taxes are going to go way up for rank and file workers. But how are they going to pay more taxes when they are paid 3rd world wages?
They will pay more as a percentage of their income. Overall, the economy is going to go into freefall. Too many disruptions too quickly is very bad for something so large and complex. So the poor will have less, pay more of it, and government will be unable to provide even the services it still provides after all the DOGE
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Elon will build a tariff.ai linked directly to Trump's smartphone that will adjust to every pooptweet.
Every business will be required to sign up with a DOGEcoin wallet and be charged for every interaction and will be required to pay in real-time for all adjustments except those in their favor.
Those will be settled quarterly, 1 week after the Tesla earnings call, unless there's a conflict with a gaming tournament.
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Oh, ya know, you could try getting your new product manufactured somewhere else instead. Why do new businesses feel the need to further increase our dependence on China for manufacturing?
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Where else? Trump is tariffing the entire world. The US isn't capable of building up the required industry quickly enough to avoid massive economic disruption, and the reason that manufacturing was offshored in the first place is that others were willing to do it for less.
If Americans are OK working for the wages and under the conditions of the countries where things are currently being manufactured, sure it'll work. That's going to involve a significant decrease in standard of living.
Why are cooperation
Tariff Manager tool (Score:2, Troll)
Call it what it is.
Trump Tax tool.
Congrats on everyone paying higher taxes!
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What services am I getting in return for paying these taxes?
Re:Tariff Manager tool (Score:5, Funny)
It helps pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.
It'll be so great when it trickles down!
Lefty here & no there are plenty of taxes we h (Score:3, Insightful)
Any tax the targets the point of purchase instead of income and wealth is a regressive tax. There are cases when you're just stuck doing it like some of the European vat taxes because you've got a complex web of countries. Similar to how the United States has some sales taxes specifically for the purpose of managing taxes between states.
But overall the majority of taxes s
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Marginal utility of money is in fact a thing so flat taxes from an economic and societal point of view are extremely regressive.
The wealthy can pay a higher percentage since the utility of their money at the high end of the brackets is less, quite substantially less in fact.
If you want to make a more "fair" tax system look at VAT or Land Value Tax or layering on more Pigouvian taxes.
It's the first time I've heard the phrase (Score:2)
It's not a bad idea but you've got to be careful that it doesn't become regressive. If for example you've made it basically impossible to use public transportation then a tax on car driving is just a tax on the poor for something they required to do.
On the other hand preventing large corporations from externalizing their costs is a great idea. Companies should not be allowed to pollute or cause crime or all sorts of other nasty things that they make you and me
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Just to check, are we now all in agreement that tariffs are in fact a tax?
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Dear leader is not. https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/09... [cnn.com]
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Call it what it is.
Trump Tax tool.
Congrats on everyone paying higher taxes!
I wonder how that is supposed to work? Seems that the Trumpian genius concept is that these tariffs won't alter either imports or exports. oh yes, it surely will.
Trumpian tariffs make as much sense as screen doors on submarines. And once upon a time, both parties agreed that blanket tariffs are counterproductive.
Kickstarter, ugh (Score:3)
You're already wasting your money if you're funding Kickstarter projects.
The Red State Idiot Interviews (Score:4, Insightful)
Who can do anything but roll their eyes at the ever growing collection of news interviews of avid Trump voters who are now bewildered and saying things like "we didn't vote for this!"
Yes you effing did. You totally backed and elected a convicted felon on 30-something counts who would have likely had 60 more felony counts by now had you not. Before that he was a known con-man, tax cheat, national security threat and party to almost 4,000 lawsuits. WTF did you guys expect?
Scratch that. I know what you did expect. There was no way you were going to let a San Francisco liberal un-white b!tch into office. No matter what record she had. So be happy you got what you wanted.
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Obama won 2 elections in a row. Clinton lost. Biden won. Harris lost.
There's a line that can be drawn between the winners and losers there, and it isn't "liberal" or "race".
I think a large swath of the midwest see a woman in charge as an existential crisis, or something.
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All my life, I've aspired to screw together consumer gadgets in a factory, and now Trump is finally making that possible.
For that, I'm so grateful.
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At the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Please stop I can only take so much greatness!
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Tell us you have essentially zero understanding of economics but use more words.
Oh. You already did.
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You're right. I'll start a chip fab and make semiconductors. First step is buying lithography machines from the sole supplier. Oh wait those billion dollar machines are now subject to tariffs because ASML is a Dutch company.