Did anyone get that letter from ebay about online taxing

polkfarmboy

I signed up for it and so should you, big companys wana tax the crap out of the awesome deals we find online and that takes away all our goodies for cheap :sad:

Check your ebay

Reply to the message

Do something about it and make your voice be one of many shouting Nooooooooo !!!!!

goofyGAguy

polkfarmboy wrote: »

I signed up for it and so should you, big companys wana tax the crap out of the awesome deals we find online

Uh, that would be Big Government that wana tax the crap out of our awesome deals, not big companys (sic).

polkfarmboy

Its the big retailers that are putting on the pressure to crush the little guys with tax

F1nut

While there is truth in that, it's Big Government that's seriously drooling at the thought of all that revenue.

I encourage everyone to reply to the eBay message.

obieone

It's just a matter of time. The govt. takes want they want, and tax the rest.

falconcry72

Just FYI, it's the states that will be collecting this sales tax revenue, not the federal government. Given the exponentially increasing trends towards internet sales, state's budgets would be crippled if they lost all their sales tax revenues. I don't see this as a bad thing.

falconcry72

Keiko wrote: »

grumpy cat pic

lol.

falconcry72

Keiko wrote: »

grumpy cat master pic

alright man, cool it. grumpy cat is one thing, but pulling out the grumpy cat master pic is just uncalled for. this is supposed to be a civilized audio forum. you have crossed the line. BAN!

Upstatemax

falconcry72 wrote: »

Just FYI, it's the states that will be collecting this sales tax revenue, not the federal government. Given the exponentially increasing trends towards internet sales, state's budgets would be crippled if they lost all their sales tax revenues. I don't see this as a bad thing.

Come live in NY for a few years...

We are already taxed to death. This is one of the only ways to ease the pain a bit.

I do purchase a lot of stuff on amazon and they already collect NYS tax. But if it's a big ticket item I do look for it somewhere else to save myself the 8% tax.

falconcry72

Upstatemax wrote: »

Come live in NY for a few years...

We are already taxed to death. This is one of the only ways to ease the pain a bit.

I do purchase a lot of stuff on amazon and they already collect NYS tax. But if it's a big ticket item I do look for it somewhere else to save myself the 8% tax.

If there's a problem with your state's tax code, creating loopholes in it is not the appropriate solution.

Face

falconcry72 wrote: »

Just FYI, it's the states that will be collecting this sales tax revenue, not the federal government. Given the exponentially increasing trends towards internet sales, state's budgets would be crippled if they lost all their sales tax revenues. I don't see this as a bad thing.

Unfortunately, I agree. The county I live in has been taking a hit on sales tax revenue over the last 5-10 years. While doing their best to prevent property tax increases, they've been cutting services, furloughing county employees, and illegally violating contracts(which will bite them in the **** soon enough). So the public has been getting less and less for the same amount of money, this bill, properly implemented, may be the only solution to fix such problems.

BlueFox

I can understand the logic behind brick and mortar stores wanting online sales taxed since they have to charge tax for the same item. Even though Amazon is now collecting sales tax for CA I still order at least a $100-$150 worth of CDs and BRs a week. Tax or not, having the stuff in my mailbox after a few days still is better than going to a store, and not finding anything worth buying. Stereo gear can still be found online from a vendor not charging sales tax.

While I dislike tax as much as the next guy, I do like having a fully staffed police, fire, and code enforcement departments. Unfortunately, due to low tax revenue, and crazy pensions, that is not the case at this time.

GospelTruth

I don't have a problem with sales tax on new items, but for used items that have already been taxed once before, I think it's a scam. The DMV already operates under this method with the sale of used cars. Every time a car is sold, you have to report the sale price when you register the car and they charge you a sales tax on that purchase. A car that sold for 30k when new at 8% would have brought in $2400 in sales tax originally. Sell it used for $20k and the next guy pays $1600 in sales tax. Sell it again for 10k later and it's another $800 in sales tax. So one vehicle that originally was $30k has now brought in $4800 in taxes - or 16% of the original car value. While eBay does have both new and used items, it should only be new items that are taxed. Next thing you know, they'll try to somehow tax Craigslist or even the local garage sales. The only thing saving Craigslist is that they don't collect the money on the transactions.

goofyGAguy

GospelTruth wrote: »

Next thing you know, they'll try to somehow tax Craigslist or even the local garage sales.

Don't give them any ideas. :eek:

snow

BlueFox wrote: »

I can understand the logic behind brick and mortar stores wanting online sales taxed since they have to charge tax for the same item. Even though Amazon is now collecting sales tax for CA I still order at least a $100-$150 worth of CDs and BRs a week. Tax or not, having the stuff in my mailbox after a few days still is better than going to a store, and not finding anything worth buying. Stereo gear can still be found online from a vendor not charging sales tax.

While I dislike tax as much as the next guy, I do like having a fully staffed police, fire, and code enforcement departments. Unfortunately, due to low tax revenue, and crazy pensions, that is not the case at this time.

I doubt the next time you go to sell your used amp or what have you on Ebay you will be pleased when Ebay hits you with an additional 10% fee for a tax when you sell it in addition to the other fees.

REGARDS SNOW

smglbrth

In regards to taxes, well, if only the government could manage money, as we all have to do, guess there wouldn't be as many taxes. It's always easier to spend someone else's money...

codyc1ark

I take no issue with this law. I would argue that the current system in place favors the middle and upper classes. Why you ask? A lot of poor have little to no regular web access, or may not even be able to get debit/credit/bank account. So they are working on a mostly cash basis, shopping for most goods near by and having to pay taxes. Now, I know someone will comeback with 'go to the library and do a money order blah blah' but they also have to pay for that mo. I see this as a fair act, I know we will whine because we are just used to being able to go on amazon and buy that big ticket item for less than a local store, and not pay tax or shipping. Hopefully this will hurt online a bit and bring some money back to Main Street, most likely it will not.

snow

codyc1ark wrote: »

I take no issue with this law. I would argue that the current system in place favors the middle and upper classes. Why you ask? A lot of poor have little to no regular web access, or may not even be able to get debit/credit/bank account. So they are working on a mostly cash basis, shopping for most goods near by and having to pay taxes. Now, I know someone will comeback with 'go to the library and do a money order blah blah' but they also have to pay for that mo. I see this as a fair act, I know we will whine because we are just used to being able to go on amazon and buy that big ticket item for less than a local store, and not pay tax or shipping. Hopefully this will hurt online a bit and bring some money back to Main Street, most likely it will not.

Amazon all ready collects state taxes on online sales, the issue at hand now is that they want Ebay to do the same with all sellers little and big ones. It does not effect me because Alaska has no sales tax but many others will be affected, I understand what you are saying about big retailers selling millions of dollars of new goods online killing local mom and pop shops but to tax small sellers on Ebay for used items that have all ready been taxed when sold as new is well... unfair IMHO.

REGARDS SNOW

polkfarmboy

I am very surprised with the diversity of opinions so far

When I order from amazon I have to deliver to a friends house across the state line to avoid the tax :mad:

snow

polkfarmboy wrote: »

I am very surprised with the diversity of opinions so far

When I order from amazon I have to deliver to a friends house across the state line to avoid the tax :mad:

Reported for tax evasion :cheesygrin:



REGARDS SNOW

Syndil

Guys, you don't understand tax code.

If you don't pay sales tax on an item because it was purchased and delivered from out of state, you are REQUIRED to pay state USE TAX (equal to your state's sales tax) on the item.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_tax

The thing is, most people do not report items they purchased out of state and therefore do not pay use tax on the items, thereby pocketing the savings.

This new law is only meant to close a loophole. It is not a new tax, it is not "money-grubbing"--it's getting rid of a commonly-used way to dodge paying taxes people are required to pay, but because of the impracticality of enforcing use tax, do not.

**** all you want about corporations and big government taking your precious dollars away... But if you aren't paying use tax on items you did not pay sales tax on, you are already breaking existing laws. You are the criminal, bitching about the gov't taking away your ability to commit a crime. Boo freakin' hoo.

falconcry72

polkfarmboy wrote: »

I am very surprised with the diversity of opinions so far...

Surprised? I take offense to that! Club Polk is a cultured and diverse community of gentlemen and scholars!

polkfarmboy

falconcry72 wrote: »

Surprised? I take offense to that! Club Polk is a cultured and diverse community of gentlemen and scholars!

I'm surprised your so easily offended :cheesygrin:

maximillian

^ Syndil, yup. I report cause I figure not reporting is an easy way to get flagged for an audit. I wonder if this new law is going to make it more difficult keeping track of when and if I paid taxes. In practice I just dump all my emailed invoices into a folder so I can tally it up at the end of the year. Will I now have to flag each one and separate the ones the taxes aren't paid?

GospelTruth

Syndil wrote: »

**** all you want about corporations and big government taking your precious dollars away... But if you aren't paying use tax on items you did not pay sales tax on, you are already breaking existing laws. You are the criminal, bitching about the gov't taking away your ability to commit a crime. Boo freakin' hoo.

Some people may complain about online sales tax because it hasn't existed before. Times change and some people don't like the changes. Fair enough - and if they want to voice their opinion so be it. Just to put a play on the "criminal" aspect, what is your opinion of the Boston Tea Party back in American history? They got sick of the taxes and had their own "tax" revolt. How does history categorize them? American heroes or villains? Not that the two topics necessarily equate, but I do see people getting sick of the government trying to tax anything and everything they can. It's one of the reasons I moved to a more tax friendly state.

Back to the topic at hand...

I don't think most people I know care about the government collecting sales tax on new purchases via the internet. I still think there is a convenience to shopping online (Amazon), better price, and much better selection when it comes to items like CDs, DVDs and Blurays - and that's even after paying a sales tax. Additionally, there are items I can get online fairly easily without having to drive around town to different stores to see if they carry some item I am looking for.

What I and most of the people I know don't agree with is the multiple taxation of items when they are sold on the used market. eBay started out as more of an online auction site for people to sell their used goods to a broad audience. It transformed into a place where businesses started using it to sell new goods. For new goods, I think eBay is actually a good place to sell items even if those items are taxed. For the business owner, eBay would actually be collecting the sales taxes for you! I personally would see that as a good thing for the seller as they don't have to collect the sales taxes and send it to the government quarterly.

However, for used goods I think it's wrong for the government to keep trying to collect a sales tax on what amounts to any financial transaction - and that's why I think a sales tax on ALL online goods (both new and used) isn't the correct policy.

Syndil

GospelTruth wrote: »

Some people may complain about online sales tax because it hasn't existed before. Times change and some people don't like the changes. Fair enough - and if they want to voice their opinion so be it. Just to put a play on the "criminal" aspect, what is your opinion of the Boston Tea Party back in American history? They got sick of the taxes and had their own "tax" revolt. How does history categorize them? American heroes or villains? Not that the two topics necessarily equate, but I do see people getting sick of the government trying to tax anything and everything they can. It's one of the reasons I moved to a more tax friendly state.

Go back and re-read my post. This is not a new "online tax." It's not a new tax at all. This is closing a loophole in already existing tax code. So to say it hasn't existed before is completely inaccurate.

If you don't pay sales tax on an item, you are supposed to pay use tax on it. Simple as that. Since use tax is pretty much unenforceable, most people don't pay it. That puts them on the wrong side of the law. This new law simply closes that loophole and makes it impossible for people to avoid paying taxes they are already required to pay.

If you want to get rid of sales tax or use tax, then yes, there are states that don't charge them... Move there.

polkfarmboy

Now I feel like an outlaw :loneranger:

GospelTruth

Syndil wrote: »

Go back and re-read my post. This is not a new "online tax." It's not a new tax at all. This is closing a loophole in already existing tax code. So to say it hasn't existed before is completely inaccurate.

I must not have made myself as clear as I would have liked. To many people this is appears as "new online tax" because it's something they haven't automatically had to pay before. No it isn't a "new" law, but it is a new method of collecting the taxes that didn't exist before - and to many people it has the appearance of a tax that didn't exist before. I didn't mean to say this was a new tax. Sorry about that confusion.

However, everything else I said still stands when it comes to sales taxes on used goods.

dragon1952

snow wrote: »

I doubt the next time you go to sell your used amp or what have you on Ebay you will be pleased when Ebay hits you with an additional 10% fee for a tax when you sell it in addition to the other fees.

REGARDS SNOW

With increases in shipping costs, combined EBay and Paypal fees and Ebay now collecting a pct on shipping charges it's already unprofitable for small sellers to sell used items on Ebay. It basically amounts to giving the item away after you look at your net. The only things I sell on Ebay any more are the popular items that get bid up way more than they are probably worth so you can make up some of the difference.

rpf65

When it comes to paying taxes to various governments, I personally think it is already too much. Add up eveything, taxes, fees, what have you, and we probably pay close to 1/3 of money earned to these entities. For the life of me I will never understand the concept of hike and bike trails, let alone why the cost so much to build and maintain.

The idea of an internet sales tax has been around ever since things started being sold on the internet, and some CEO needed some excuse for not making money for the share holders. It isn't that J.C. Penny's is trying to sell stuff that people really don't want at the price being asked. That would be unheard of. It's because they don't have to pay sales tax to get the same item, don't look at the 50% price difference, it is just the tax.

Those of you who believe that this is a way for large corperations to nake it harder for the little guy are somewhat correct. The state of Texas, for instance, has a pretty weird taxing structure. The state charges 6%, and the county and city can add up to an additional 2.25%. So even though the state sales tax is 6%, you can count on paying the whole 8.25% on just about everything, everywhere. So how much do these internet entities collect, 6 or 8.25. If it is only the state tax, then it should be 6, but trust me, Amazon charges the full 8.25.

That concept of "it's only fair" is complete BS, in my humble opinion. I actually purchase very few items off the net. Other than CD/DVD's that I can't find in a store, maybe 10 items total, since forever. If the store will order the item, and charge me a comperable price on the item, even adding a small fee for the trouble of ordering it, I would probably buy nothing on line.

Do I think taxing on-line purchases is nothing short of a new way for some idiot to have a bigger pot of money to spend; YES! Seems to me these companies already pay federal and state taxes, where ever they happen to be located. So my solution is for these individual states to quit whining, and entice these businesses to relocate or expand to their individual state. What are internet sales, about $50 billion per year, new merchandise? Does some moron think that his/her state will get all that tax money?

The answer is simple. If states, and even the federal government wants to charge taxes on everything that is purchased, then do just that. Charge a tax on goods and services, and nothing else. No income, intrest, dividends, property, and everything else they currently tax. On the bottom of the reciept actually show the federal and state taxes charged on each and every transaction, and fund everything that way. Watch how quick studying duck gentailia come to a screeching halt.

F1nut

Syndil wrote: »

Go back and re-read my post.

And you still didn't answer his questions.