重磅消息！Etsy要求美国国会考虑为卖家提供援助
Etsy要求卖家与美国国会议员取得联系，要求美国国会确保未来的冠状病毒救济方案中包括援助微型企业和自雇人士的措施。
此前，Etsy首席执行官Josh Silverman致信美国国会领导人，就如何援助微型企业和自雇人士提出了具体援助建议。
总体而言，希望这些措施能够援助Etsy上的微型企业和自雇人士抵御冠状病毒大流行的直接威胁以及长期经济下滑的威胁。但是，除非美国国会直接听取选民的意见，否则美国国会可能不会采取这些援助行动。
Etsy设置了一个Action Alert页面，人们可以在其中输入他们的姓名、联系信息以及邮政编码，以便将以下电子邮件发送给他们的代表：
我是本区一个有创意的企业家，在Etsy上销售商品。面对冠状病毒的迅速传播，我非常担心我的生意可能无法挺过这次大流行或随之而来的经济衰退。美国国会把重点放在对我们最脆弱的企业和工人提供紧急援助和支持上是正确的。然而，一个弱势群体——微型企业和自雇人士显然没有出现在援助建议中。
我是Etsy所代表的270万创意企业家之一，其中83%是女性，而且几乎所有人都在自己经营一家公司。作为自雇人士，我们没有享受许多社会保障项目，包括失业保险、残疾保险或带薪休假。我们也不会从美国国会向工人和小企业主承诺的大量援助中受益。然而，我们是最容易受到当前这场危机影响的人群之一。
为了满足这一迫切需要，我写信要求你们通过以下方式确保微型企业和自雇人士成为任何经济援助计划的关键部分：
1、直接援助：除了目前正在讨论的对所有美国人的直接现金援助之外，美国国会应该为自雇人士和微型企业建立一个补充的直接援助计划，以帮助失去业务、带薪病假、个人医疗费用和固定支出的成本。
2、失业保障:自雇人士不享受失业保障。政府应该立即为自雇人士和零工工人提供失业保护基金，这样当他们的收入因对商品或服务的需求下降而下降时，他们就有基本的福利。
3、关键业务服务:Etsy卖家依赖于关键的电子商务基础设施，包括金融服务、航运和互联网连接。政府应确保这些基本服务继续充分运作。
4、税收和债务延期:除了推迟4月15日的纳税申报单外，美国国会应该再推迟两个季度的纳税期限。希望政府为自雇人士和微型企业进行延期抵押贷款和信用卡支付的谈判，他们经常在自己的家中经营，使用个人信用卡为他们的业务提供资金。
5、劳动所得税抵免(EITC):劳动所得税抵免是收入保护的一个重要来源，因为它不是通过工资来管理的，它对零工工人和那些处于更传统的雇佣关系中的人同样有效。美国国会应该通过提高收入门槛(包括更年轻和无子女的工人)和取消婚姻惩罚来扩大EITC。立法者还应允许按季度计算和管理，这将更好地支持那些难以应对短期收入波动的个人。
6、赈灾计划:许多政府的赈灾项目根本不适合自雇人士。美国国会应在EDA的经济调整援助计划和SBA的救灾贷款计划中为自雇人士援助基金拨款，并要求这些机构迅速发布指导，使自雇人士能够获得这些援助。
综上所述，这些改革将极大地减轻像我这样的Etsy卖家，以及推动更广泛零工经济的数百万独立承包商、自雇人士和微型企业所面临的负担。
你可以在Etsy的公告板上找到这个帖子。
I am a creative entrepreneur in your district, who sells goods on Etsy. In the face of the rapid spread of COVID-19, I am very concerned that my business may not survive this pandemic or the resulting economic downturn. Lawmakers are rightly focused on sending immediate aid and support to our most vulnerable businesses and workers. Yet one vulnerable group – microbusinesses and the self-employed – are notably absent from the conversation.
I am one of the 2.7 million creative entrepreneurs that Etsy represents, 83% of whom are women and nearly all of whom run one person businesses out of their homes. As sole proprietors, we don’t qualify for many social safety net programs, including unemployment insurance, disability insurance, or paid leave. Neither will we benefit from much of the important relief the U.S. government has already promised to workers and small business owners. Yet, we are among the most vulnerable to this current crisis.
To meet this urgent need, I am writing to ask that you to ensure microbusinesses and the self-employed are a key part of any economic recovery package through the following means.
Direct assistance – In addition to the direct payments currently under discussion for all Americans, Congress should create a supplementary direct assistance program for the self-employed and microbusinesses to help cover the cost of lost business, paid sick leave, individual health care costs, and fixed expenses.
Unemployment protection: The self-employed are not eligible for unemployment protection. The federal government should immediately fund an unemployment protection fund for the self-employed and gig workers, which would allow them to draw down benefits in the event of declining income due to decreased demand for their goods or services.
Business-critical services: Etsy sellers depend on critical e-commerce infrastructure, including financial services, shipping, and internet connectivity. The federal government should ensure that these essential services remain fully operational, even as the public and private sectors take greater measures to contain the spread of the virus.
Tax and debt deferral: In addition to deferring April 15th tax returns, Congress should defer an additional two quarterly tax payment deadlines, which place a significant financial burden on the self employed. We also urge the government to negotiate deferred mortgage and credit card payments for self-employed microbusinesses, who often operate out of their homes and use personal credit cards to fund their business.
Earned income tax credit (EITC): The Earned Income Tax Credit is an important source of income protection, and because it is not administered through payroll, it already works equally well for gig workers and those in a more traditional employment relationship. Congress should expand EITC by increasing the income threshold, including younger and childless workers, and eliminating the marriage penalty. Lawmakers should also allow it to be calculated and administered on a quarterly basis, which would better support individuals struggling to manage short-term income volatility.
Disaster relief: Many of the government’s disaster relief programs simply do not work for the self-employed. Congress should appropriate funds for a Self-Employment Assistance Fund within the EDA’s Economic Adjustment Assistance and SBA’s Disaster Relief Loan programs, and require these agencies to quickly issue guidance enabling the self-employed to access these programs.
Taken together, these reforms would dramatically ease the burdens faced by Etsy sellers like me, as well as the millions of independent contractors, self-employed individuals, and microbusinesses who are driving the broader gig economy.”
(卖家之家/编译：Nina)
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