CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar
- Thread starter Richard Baker
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Yeah, the whole website looks like it's down. I wonder if it suffered failure being hosted on Amazon Web Services and that big outage that hit earlier in the week.
Ugh..."Cloud"...Pffft. I don't know if that's what happened here, but the whole point of the "cloud" is to provide scalability, "seamless" cross-site replication and continuity of operations. If their east coast operation went down it should have immediately failed-over to one of their mirrors. The fact that the internet was crippled so effectively by this proves that their resiliency plan ain't all that and a bag of chips. Shocker!
Ugh..."Cloud"...Pffft. I don't know if that's what happened here, but the whole point of the "cloud" is to provide scalability, "seamless" cross-site replication and continuity of operations. If their east coast operation went down it should have immediately failed-over to one of their mirrors. The fact that the internet was crippled so effectively by this proves that their resiliency plan ain't all that and a bag of chips. Shocker!
As I noted here https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/cbs-paramount-sues-to-stop-axanar.278077/page-1408#post-11898567 , S-corp executive officers who receive nontrivial compensation are employees in the eyes of the IRS. Not 1099'ers, as Alec seemed to suggest he might have given himself and others. And certainly not 'salary and benefit-receiving "legitimate non-filers" because the business failed and the non-filers had to put all the salary and expenses back in during a later year.'
I mean, really.
So there's some more throwing under the bus in the comments of Lane's last blogpost:
"Dan Balkwill says:
February 28, 2017 at 12:28 pm
As a multiple donor to Star Trek: New Voyages, I was upset to not even be told they stopped production. I found out only when their FaceBook page changed it’s name. Out $450 in pledges with no perks to be sent; no response on their KickStarter page.
Jonathan Lane says:
February 28, 2017 at 8:43 pm
Ya hear that, Axanar detractors???
I actually donated to New Voyages, too, and never got any perks. But then again, I didn’t donate for the perks, I donated because I liked the series and wanted them to make more episodes. But I always knew there was a risk that I was throwing my money away. That’s true of nearly all crowd-funding campaigns.
Colin Krapp says:
March 1, 2017 at 8:11 am
Jonathan – since many Axanar detractors either have ties to or are supporters of STNV, it’s no shock that they ignore that NV has it’s own issues with perks and potentially misdirected donations (how many NV fans were aware the studios were being finished to become a museum rather than to film more episodes? Anyone? Bueller?"
This looks like a fun discussion waiting to happen.
"Dan Balkwill says:
February 28, 2017 at 12:28 pm
As a multiple donor to Star Trek: New Voyages, I was upset to not even be told they stopped production. I found out only when their FaceBook page changed it’s name. Out $450 in pledges with no perks to be sent; no response on their KickStarter page.
Jonathan Lane says:
February 28, 2017 at 8:43 pm
Ya hear that, Axanar detractors???
I actually donated to New Voyages, too, and never got any perks. But then again, I didn’t donate for the perks, I donated because I liked the series and wanted them to make more episodes. But I always knew there was a risk that I was throwing my money away. That’s true of nearly all crowd-funding campaigns.
Colin Krapp says:
March 1, 2017 at 8:11 am
Jonathan – since many Axanar detractors either have ties to or are supporters of STNV, it’s no shock that they ignore that NV has it’s own issues with perks and potentially misdirected donations (how many NV fans were aware the studios were being finished to become a museum rather than to film more episodes? Anyone? Bueller?"
This looks like a fun discussion waiting to happen.
Yea, let them trash NV, while the IRS saddles up.
from NOLO: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/s-corporations-irs-tax-filing-requirements.html
Employment Tax Forms
If your S corporation has employees, it must withhold employment taxes on their wages. Moreover, as a rule, any shareholder in your S corporation who provides services to the corporation must be paid a salary. (The same goes for corporation officers regardless of whether they are also shareholders.) Shareholder-employee salaries are subject to employment taxes in the same way as the salaries of other employees. Taken together, this means that your S corporation must periodically withhold, report on, and pay employment taxes for employee and shareholder-employee wages and salaries.
As part of the payroll tax process, your corporation must periodically pay money to the federal government using electronic funds transfer. In addition, your corporation needs to file quarterly employer tax returns (Form 941). Moreover, after the end of the year, the corporation must issue each employee a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, which is specific to that employee. You must file copies of the W-2s, along with a Form W-3,Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, with the federal government each year by the last day of February.
State Taxes
While S corporation profits are not taxed by the federal government, they are taxed by some states. In other states, S corporations are assessed a flat fee. In states that require S corporations to pay taxes or fees, you will need to file separate state tax returns for your S corporation. Even states that don’t assess S corporation taxes or fees often require you to at least file an informational return.
Apart from federal employment taxes, most states also collect employment taxes. To pay those taxes, you’ll need to set up a state withholding tax account for your corporation, and report on and pay the taxes using the appropriate state forms.
Check your state’s Department of Revenue (or equivalent state office) for more details on both of these state taxes. You also can find out more about state business income and employment taxes in other Nolo articles.
from NOLO: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/s-corporations-irs-tax-filing-requirements.html
Employment Tax Forms
If your S corporation has employees, it must withhold employment taxes on their wages. Moreover, as a rule, any shareholder in your S corporation who provides services to the corporation must be paid a salary. (The same goes for corporation officers regardless of whether they are also shareholders.) Shareholder-employee salaries are subject to employment taxes in the same way as the salaries of other employees. Taken together, this means that your S corporation must periodically withhold, report on, and pay employment taxes for employee and shareholder-employee wages and salaries.
As part of the payroll tax process, your corporation must periodically pay money to the federal government using electronic funds transfer. In addition, your corporation needs to file quarterly employer tax returns (Form 941). Moreover, after the end of the year, the corporation must issue each employee a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, which is specific to that employee. You must file copies of the W-2s, along with a Form W-3,Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, with the federal government each year by the last day of February.
State Taxes
While S corporation profits are not taxed by the federal government, they are taxed by some states. In other states, S corporations are assessed a flat fee. In states that require S corporations to pay taxes or fees, you will need to file separate state tax returns for your S corporation. Even states that don’t assess S corporation taxes or fees often require you to at least file an informational return.
Apart from federal employment taxes, most states also collect employment taxes. To pay those taxes, you’ll need to set up a state withholding tax account for your corporation, and report on and pay the taxes using the appropriate state forms.
Check your state’s Department of Revenue (or equivalent state office) for more details on both of these state taxes. You also can find out more about state business income and employment taxes in other Nolo articles.
Colin Krapp says:
March 1, 2017 at 8:11 am
Jonathan – since many Axanar detractors either have ties to or are supporters of STNV, it’s no shock that they ignore that NV has it’s own issues with perks and potentially misdirected donations (how many NV fans were aware the studios were being finished to become a museum rather than to film more episodes? Anyone? Bueller?"
This looks like a fun discussion waiting to happen.
Axanar = $1.4 million++ of "issues with donations".
Fun discussion ended.
Okay, so wait...
"As a multiple donor to Star Trek: New Voyages, I was upset to not even be told they stopped production. I found out only when their FaceBook page changed it’s name. Out $450 in pledges with no perks to be sent; no response on their KickStarter page."
NV didn't notify their donating fan base of the changes before postin....... wait, is the NV facebook page the way
NV posts 'communications' on things like this to their fans? Which would make sense to me. Another question comes to mind; would not NV respond to personal queries from their donors asking about the changes? That's a lot of money, well, to me I mean, and I know I might approach and ask for a more personalized response to 'things are all changed now'. I'd very likely be amenable to the change but it is conceivable I might want somebody to take a quick minute to respond if I asked.
Or maybe I'm missing something here?
And what about this?
"since many Axanar detractors either have ties to or are supporters of STNV, it’s no shock that they ignore that NV has it’s own issues with perks and potentially misdirected donations"
Now it's true I recognize a deliberate provocation going on with the wording potentially misdirected donations -but- are there donations that were made to NV that product wasn't produced for? Not perks I mean... promised fan films.
And what about this NV perks thing? I had not heard/known that NV had issues with perk fulfillment. Is this accurate?
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Yes, I take your very good point of the yuge difference in $$ amounts that is indisputable in the sheer magnitude of it. I'm also interested in learning information about what NV might have been thought or demonstrated as leaving behind when making the change. Unfinished business? Or unfulfilled promises maybe? And is it known how NV did/didn't address this with their donors, things like that.
Alec Peters policy has, I think, always been to throw as much shit about as he can and hope no one notices the fact he's already covered in it.
Income or capital gains the first year, and a business loss (maybe) in the second. The second year would not be a donation as Axa is not a 501(c)(3). And the tax in the first year and any deduction (not a rebate to be skimmed off the top of one's taxes, but a deduction, which would mean most likely the same tax rate percentage taken out, but of a lower overall intake) in the second would most likely not be the same.
What I am saying is, it's highly unlikely the two years' activities would constitute a perfect wash. And, either way, the IRS would want the records even if it was wholly on the up and up.
Note: I am neither an accountant nor a tax lawyer, but I just plain don't enjoy audits because I'm kinda funny that way.
If "you will pay your income back to something eventually means you didn't have to pay tax to begin with", then no one should ever pay any taxes.
After all, at the end of your life you can't take it with you. Everyone nets zero at the end.
Clearly, the taxation mechanism over a lifetime does not *personally* give you back everything, some of it goes to the common good and you get it indirectly, other parts, well...
Trying to declare that you have a personal customized tax law where "all benefits of taxation accrue back to you personally, so if you spent/gave away all your income, no harm in not paying tax" is tax evasion as a philosopher would define the intent beneath the act.
Did Axanar do this? I have no idea. Is the idea highly illogical and childish, yes.
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because [ mud slinger emoji ] [ Leslie Nielsen nothing to see here emoji ]
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True enough for sure.
So NV will still be releasing two more films? That's great news to me.
[EDIT]
I've been searching for ballpark estimate time frame info on releasing these two more films. All I can find is this dialogue on NV's facebook page from December 16, 2016 thru January 20, 2017:
That's all I have found so far. Does anybody else have better updated info?
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