Gov't is Making it Hard For The Little Guy Just Trying To Make Chump Change

Susan_in_SF

Susan_in_SF

Wood and Metal Goddess
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I just wanted to vent over news that I just found out about today, via my email:
Screenshot_20191001-142907.png

I appreciate how they let me know with lots of advance notice. I get the email on the day that the law takes effect.

Then, I researched the California laws on this site:

There, I read,
"Generally the minimum number of sales to require the holding of a seller's permit by a person not otherwise engaged in a selling activity is three within any 12 month period."
As shown here:
Screenshot_20191001-143919.png

So, if you make more than 3 sales a year for anything and are not a charitable organization, religious entity, etc., EBay will automatically charge your customers sales tax, and (I think I also read) report your income to the gov't! It apparently doesn't matter how little the sale is.

OMG!! It's bad enough they made crappy Chinese stuff more expensive (Federal), now many states want to make money off of your sale, even if It's for a used pair of cheap pants.

I will do some more research to confirm my accusations, but between the cost of shipping within our own country, and this newly put in sales tax law, I won't be able to afford to buy used stuff (maybe a good thing since i bought too much used machinist stuff ;-) ), and now have to worry about eBay AND PayPal reporting my sales (which is like 6 a year - but not any more in case the gov't reads this) to the gov't?

It's crap like this that made me go cold turkey on Facebook. I don't want them coming after me for having a few garage toys, ya never know!

And, since PayPal is working with eBay, I don't feel safe even selling on this site if paid via PayPal, grrrr!

Thank you for putting up with my rant.

Susan
 
Susan,

Sometimes ya just gotta vent. What the sales tax does for me is that I find more ways to not buy stuff by making my own things
or buying from a private party. A dollar not spent saves the dollar and also the tax so I have good incentive that way.
 
I just moved from NC to VA. I buy a lot of stuff off of E-bay. NC didn't charge internet tax. VA does so I pay more on my purchases now. :(
 
I haven't bought anything from eBay in several years now. It just keeps getting sillier and sillier... (And I don't NEED more stuff...)
 
Not like one couldn't see this coming. Back in the day when the amounts were small, nobody cared. With larger and larger portions of retail going to online sales, states are not going to let that revenue go. Look at it this way, if they didn't collect that tax, they would just raise them somewhere else.
 
Am I missing something? Ebay/Paypal is collecting sales tax from the buyer and sending it to the buyers state for you. It doesn't sound like they are taking money from you (or even notifying your state that you are making unreported money).

Do you think that people won't buy your stuff because sales tax is added on? Amazon collects sales tax on everything they sell for others and they're making lots of money still.

99% of my sales are made through Paypal transfers but I haven't heard a word from them about automatically collecting sales tax yet. It must be coming though based on the Ebay notice.
 
I feel like that old movie, Network, where everyone was yelling out their windows, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna to take it anymore!," even though I have bought practically everything that is awesome in my garage through craigslist, lol
But lots of people, ahem :oops:, are getting by on Social Security where eBay helped them make ends meet with a little unreported income. These are the folks who really lose, if they lose any sales, in my meager opinion
 
Last edited:
Holescreek said:
Am I missing something? Ebay/Paypal is collecting sales tax from the buyer and sending it to the buyers state for you. It doesn't sound like they are taking money from you (or even notifying your state that you are making unreported money).

Do you think that people won't buy your stuff because sales tax is added on? Amazon collects sales tax on everything they sell for others and they're making lots of money still.

99% of my sales are made through Paypal transfers but I haven't heard a word from them about automatically collecting sales tax yet. It must be coming though based on the Ebay notice.
Click to expand...
See my previous posts.
All that nickel and diming is bs. I have chatted quite a few times with senior citizens who I bought from via eBay who are barely getting by.
Let me find that article that mentions they admit they are working with the gov't in letting them know who isn't excluded and I will post it, after I am done scooping kitty litter now..
 
So....

Try starting up a business where you are required to collect state sales tax, or local sales tax, or payroll tax for that matter. Pay monthly and get penalized if you don't get the right forms filed on time (or when they just don't open the envelope and record it). And then deal with them for years after you closed the business and moved out of state.

We all have to pay taxes on what we earn and what we spend in the US, some folks have it better than others sure but that's starting to get into politics which ain't allowed here.

Sounds like eBay is looking out for you with this one.


Just sayin'

John
 
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