Tax concerns to push Microsoft Azure cloud hosting out of Washington state

[Deja Q]

Source: ZDNet

Microsoft is making preparations to move applications that developers are hosting on its Azure cloud infrastructure out of its Washington state datacenter, due to a change in the tax laws there.

Microsoft warned customers testing their apps on the Azure test release about the planned change earlier this week. Microsoft is readying a migration tool to help testers with the move, company officials said.

Read more: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=3644

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Cloud computing, SaaS -- makes an aSS out of everyone who uses it.

Good luck to the lollipops who were suckered into their lock-in. Every other product that company has sold of late hasn't lived up to any purported claims or quality...

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[high density]

2. SaaS is just a way to extract a constant income stream from people

I can see it working for some programs but for others I don't see the draw (e.g. games)

7.9% tax to build a data center? And I thought Maine was bad at taxing stuff.

[tkmorris]

3. Fanbois...of ALL kinds...lack objectivity

OP you went off-topic in your own original post to editorialize a slam against Microsoft, then have a fit when the first responder does the exact same thing against Apple. See how silly that is?

Neither Microsoft nor Apple is in any danger of pulling down a Nobel peace prize anytime soon. They are both companies whose sole goal is to transfer as many dollars as possible from your pocket to theirs. They just have different models about how best to go about doing that. They try very hard to foster this brand loyalty to their product lines while ridiculing the others, and encourage their consumers to do the same. Don't be pawns in their game.

[SeriousEbony]

4. and thus must pay a 7.9 percent tax on data center construction and equipment

Hell, I'd move to a friendlier state too. Let WA extort their money from some other suckers. I'm
sure many states would love the jobs moving in.

[Truth2Tell]

5. It's a mixed bag.

Microsoft enjoys a vast array of tax benefits and exclusions in WA. They also benefit from cheap, reliable hydro energy for their data centers. This is just the same old corporate blackmail that Boeing and others have so successfully pulled off against the citizens of WA. If they wanna move their center, let em. And screw em. Their importance to the local economy is massively exaggerated anyway.

[merwin]

6. It's not like they employ half of Redmond or anything...

You literally meet a Microsoft employee pretty much everywhere you go.

[Truth2Tell]

7. Which is why they aren't actually going to move.

Their most critical resource requirement is an adequately educated workforce and they won't find that many places other than the Seattle area and a handful of others. They have seen how well the threats have worked for others and so they're hopping on the blackmail bandwagon.

[christx30]

9. Austin, Texas

has a great educated work force (most University of Texas grads) and no state income tax. We would love for Microsoft to come here with their jobs, and spend, spend, spend.
I know I'd love to work there.

[Psephos]

8. Some might consider 7.9% tax on a datacenter to be the real blackmail

Think about it.