Mad at associated content!!

hmmmm, it's my understanding people are getting paid from many countries..

You got exactly the same response I got. I'm an Aussie, and I'm still trying to figure out how AC could put that in print and take themselves seriously. How are they going to become a significant site based on the US domestic market, which is never anything less than tough? I know PayPal doesn't have a problem with international transactions. Nor does anyone else. If AC has difficulties with just basic business, how good are they likely to be? Paying sites are few, and most are duds. Helium is at least respectable, and they do have an international profile. Writing on the lower rated sites might be an own goal, KrazyK8. If you write on a well known site, you do have a profile. Writing on Somebodyorother.com doesn't help, because nobody knows their range. There's a site called Common Ties, recommended to me by a friend on myLot. Problem for me is they pay only by cheque. My faith in snail mail from the States is minimal, but being a Canadian it might be easier for you.

Associated Content doesn't pay outside the US for tax reasons, basically. It's a real pain to handle the tax info and procedures needed for it, and so they stick with US only. A lot of paper magazines do the same thing, actually, as well as small print publishing houses. It has nothing to do with Paypal, really, and it's nothing new in the world of writing. I'd look for a Canadian based freelance site.

I can't help you with Associated Content sorry but if you like writing articles etc have you thought about starting your own website or blog and putting those articles there? - you can then add a variety of income streams depending on your article content.

I have to agree with you that it does not make sense if payment is conducted via PayPal. I believe the only way AC is able to distinguish the prospective payee's residence is either through PayPal, or if you had to divulge this information when signing up with AC (I have not signed up yet, if I consider to do so). Since you are a writer looking to get published, I'm sure there are many places on the Internet that may provide you the opportunity. I'm sorry I am not aware of any right now.

Sites that don't want to pay people outside the US are ultimately just "covering" the fact they they think it's too much of a pain in the a$$ to file the tax forms associated with making international payments. There's no actual "can't" involved, just a fair bit of work. You'd be subject to "backup withholding for non-citizens" (which only applies if you got paid more than US$ 600.00 per year, as I recall), which means they keep 30% of your pay and report it to the US tax authorities, which you can then only get back by filing forms with the US txa people showing that you paid taxes on that income in Canada... or something like that. Companies with a lot of payees who'll make from $600 to maybe a few thousand often opt out, because of the massive amount of paperwork.

I think constant content works for Canadians. And they'll send you emails when people request articles. It's a bit more work, since you kind of have to sell yourself, but I've heard of people making money. The associated content thing is a bummer, I was really disappointed too. It's probably something to do with taxes.

I supposed if people had paypal already they could try faking being American. The big problem would be at tax time when AC sends out the tax info to your address.

Maybe it has to do with converted the money to Canadian amounts. They probably don't want to deal with the extra labor and money involved in paying a different system. I am a member of helium and it's a waste of time. I feel like I have to keep writing and writing just to make a buck at that site. I don't like how members work only through page views. It's just silly.

Why not try Constant Content who pay anyone, whether you're in the US or not. www.constant-content.com/