When I wrote Amazon Affiliate Tax: Jerry West Has a Bad Solution, it upset Jerry so he revised his Amazon Affiliate Tax Solution post in an attempt to discredit what I wrote by claiming that it wasn’t true and that I was just trying to solicit new clients.

Jerry West crosses the line again by providing more bad legal advice because he simply doesn’t know applicable Internet laws, corporate laws, or tax laws.

For example, he claims that “You don’t need separate bank accounts” for the two separate corporations that he claims you should set up in two different states. Apparently Jerry has never heard of “alter ego theory.” Even funnier, he claims that “if [your lawyer and accountant] set you up correctly the first time, you already have a corporation setup in Nevada or Delaware for tax purposes.” Jerry either hasn’t read or doesn’t understand “Scam Artists and Your Business.” (PDF file).

This isn’t the first time that Jerry West has played lawyer and given bad legal advice. For example, in May he wrote FTC Change in Endorsements and Testimonials Policy. Here’s Jerry the Non-Lawyer’s advice:

If you are an affiliate marketer, push CPA offers, etc. just keep doing what you are doing. I don’t see any of these changes impacting our business whatsoever.

The Federal Trade Commission cracks down on deceptive endorsements and testimonials but Jerry tells you not to worry about it. Will Jerry be paying your legal bills when the FTC comes knocking at your door after you’ve taken his advice?

Back to the underlying issue of the affiliate tax…

  • Will Jerry West (Non-Lawyer) be representing you in court when an affiliate program operator sues you for taking his advice?
  • Will he be paying the affiliate taxes if you get caught?
  • Will he protect your personal assets after your corporate shield has been pierced?

As a final note, Jerry’s revision attacks the content of what I wrote because I’m a lawyer. Under Jerry’s premise, the reason there’s lawyer jokes is because guys like me write stuff he doesn’t like. You’re supposed to forget the merits of what I wrote and believe Jerry because he’s an SEO expert.

Perhaps the most deceptive accusation by Jerry is the following attack he made:

He then makes a pitch that you need a good internet attorney. Oh, he just happens to be one. Big surprise.

If Jerry had a clue, he’d know that most of my clients are as big or larger than his StomperNet employer and that new clients come in by referrals from existing clients. Less than 10% of cold contacts are accepted as clients because I simply don’t have the time.

Telling you to get the advice of a good Internet attorney instead of following the advice of Jerry Lawyer Wannabe isn’t soliciting business. It is trying to protect you from his bad legal advice.

Talk to your qualified Internet business lawyer about legal issues. Read Jerry West’s SEO content but ignore what he writes when trying to play attorney online.