Why Is Amazon Leaving Seattle?
Amazon, the largest online retailer in the world, has been headquartered in Seattle since its founding in 1994. Recently, however, the company has made the decision to move out of Seattle and into other cities across North America.
The move comes as a surprise to many as Amazon’s presence in Seattle had created a booming economy. The city was home to many of Amazon’s employees and contractors, and it was estimated that Amazon employed over 45,000 people across various offices in the city. In addition, Amazon’s presence had also led to a surge in housing prices and rents.
However, despite all this success, it appears that Amazon is looking for greener pastures elsewhere. The primary reason for Amazon’s decision to leave Seattle is due to its increased taxes on large businesses.
The city of Seattle passed a new tax on businesses with more than $20 million in revenue back in 2018. This tax was meant to fund affordable housing projects as well as homeless services in the city.
Amazon argued that this tax unfairly Targeted large businesses like themselves and would put an unnecessary burden on their operations. After months of negotiations with city officials failed to produce any results, Amazon decided that it was time for them to move out of Seattle and look for other cities who were more open to their business practices and policies.
This decision has been met with mixed reactions from both those who are pro-business as well as those who are pro-taxation. While some argue that this move will hurt the local economy by depriving it of much-needed jobs, others point out that it could lead to a more equitable distribution of wealth by forcing wealthier companies like Amazon to pay their fair share of taxes.
Regardless of how one feels about this move, it is clear that Amazon’s decision will have far-reaching implications for both the city of Seattle and other cities across North America looking to become tech hubs or attract similar businesses.
In conclusion, Amazon’s decision to leave Seattle can be attributed primarily to its increased taxes on large businesses which the company viewed as an unfair burden on their operations. This move has been met with mixed reactions from both those who are pro-business as well as those who are pro-taxation but ultimately it will have far reaching implications for both Seattle and other cities looking for similar opportunities down the road.