Doesn't ebay have more gall than ever. They care not an ounce for Sellers but now they want them to notify Congress and the Senate that we don't want to collect sales tax for every state. I do it for PA & MD and it's all electronic; no problem. They just don't want to lose business and act like they are doing the seller a favor looking out for us. that would be the first time.

Brick-and-mortar retailers are locked in a battle with online retailers over sales tax collection, and eBay is now galvanizing its base of online merchants and shoppers to influence the outcome. The online marketplace sent emails to users this week asking them to sign a petition opposing the new Main Street Fairness Act that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this month.

According to eBay, HR 5660 would be extremely burdensome and costly to small online retailers, and said it was working very hard to stop the bill from becoming law.

However, retailers have always had to collect sales tax if they had a physical presence in a state with sales tax. Organizations like the Jewelers of America, a national trade association for jewelry retailers, said it welcomed the introduction of the Main Street Fairness Act, saying it would "close an Internet sales tax loophole that has hurt traditional jewelry businesses."

more.. link to news article

I bet they wished they had not kicked all those sellers to the curb, as now they really could do with the noise of the old community. too bad they killed it.

It is funny how peoples stupidity always comes back and bites them on the behind.

Yeah. I got an e-mail from Ebay about this issue. Screw em'. Just like they have screwed Sellers for the past 2 years.

Now Ebay wants our help. That's a crock

Ebay pretty much burned their bridges behind them....BUT, in the end all online sellers need to get behind this thing. Okay, they're not targeting really small sellers this time - but once they get their foot in the door they'll tax EVERYONE and it won't stop! They'll tax all online sites and they'll tax individual websites too. Much as I don't like it, I'll get behind Ebay on this one.

It is hard to believe that someone would be so shortsighted as to think they are hurting only EBay if they don't get behind them on this sales tax issue. Although EBay is more concerned about their bottomline than its' sellers, in this case, it is more than just important to get behind them, unless, of course, you want the burden as an online seller, to collect and pay sales tax on every sale in virtually every county in virtually every state.

Also remember that if this passes, it affects ALL online sales - Boanazle, Amazon, Ecrater, and your own website.

This is not an ebay thing - it is an online seller thing.

It is the way of the future, and I don't see ebay being able to stop it, not just because I see a lot of sellers saying tough to ebay but governments have been trying for years to get control of the internet, and bit by bit they will eventually do it.
Most of us live in a free country but they don't like the idea of us being that free.

There is also the other argument if you have your own site. This is going to put a lot bigger strain on sites like ebay than it is your own site, which most sellers with their own sites will see as a good thing.

The problem is - will you have to collect sales tax for ALL states? Right now you're only required to collect sales takes for people in your home state, )of there is sales tax in your state.) but not cross-state lines.

If so - who gets the money - the home state or the state of the purchaser Why should the state get money for goods bought in one state being used in another and not the home state the goods or being used in. Or on the flip side why should a small vender be forsed to collect tax for all the states the sell in.

For years,merchants who border on states without sales tax,or lower sales taxs have cried that business has been taken away from them. If a vendor will be requiered to collect sales tax based on his state - regardless of the state the buyer is in, it's the same thing! Sellers in states with low or no sales tax will have an unfair advantage.

Brick and Mortar stores have been complaining about this for years - I doubt the states give a darn about them - what they see is a fresh source of huge revenue and that's what is driving this bill. Like I said on my blog..."hold your nose, close your eyes but sign Ebay's petition!"

http://www.grannygoodpaint.blogspot.com

I think Ebay's position here is that if the law does indeed pass. The E-commerce site will be required to make sure the taxes are paid. which would mean every seller will have to submit a tax ID or pay Ebay a fee to use their tax ID as a associate seller.

This would mean not only will all payments go through Ebay, but they would also have to accept Checks and Money orders as a valid form of payment. When you make a sale at eBay they would basically take out the tax fee before it goes into your account. The other thing that just came up that every buyer would have to be verified as to there shipping address. it will bring a lot more effort to both the buyers and sellers not to mention the E-commerce site just to make a legal sale.

On the Palpay side of things can you imagine what will have to be done to the hundreds of thousands of web-sites that use Paypal as a processor of payment. This will bring up a whole hassle of new verification to ownership and tax IDs being verified.

My father who is 87 Next week promoted Antiques shows for 40+ years. we traveled through many states each year. All of the dealers could purchase there own tax IDs in each state if they wanted to, or we would submit the taxes from each dealer through our Tax ID. Basically we had a contract with each dealer that said all sales our recorded under our name, and they signed it and wrote a check for the amount owed. We kept the contracts in the event of audit, which never happened once. We did frequently get IRS agents at the shows and after showing them our system, they were satisfied with it.

Ebay asking?
That has to be a first!.

IF this should pass, I think that, ebay (along with other sites) would lose MANY part-time or occasional sellers.

To those of use who do this as a living - such as it is - it wouldn't have (in terms of paperwork) much more effect then the (by now) almost standard Paypal chargeback.

I can't envision sellers having to have 50+ Sales Tax paying accounts. Heck, the states themselves would be swamped!

Although I doubt that ebay would voluntarily take responsibility for any payment of taxes. but, being that they're a "venue" (albeit a venue that acts like an owner, with all their rules & regulations), whichever Government agency - or agencies that would be administering this would force them to take responsibility for reporting sales.

This will be interesting to see how it pans out

If eBay does not make sure taxes are paid, then every audit that takes place would probably involve eBay within the Audit. This is why they will take over the taxes if the law passes. eBay can collect these taxes and bank the money and make money off it, while they will only have to pay quarterly. It seems me that this is right down there alley. The fact that they are contacting sellers tells me that there will be enormous changed to e-commerce.

How about Paypal having to pay taxes on there transaction fees, and all that will encomber.

schicksales wrote (View Post): › I can't envision sellers having to have 50+ Sales Tax paying accounts. Heck, the states themselves would be swamped! Although I doubt that ebay would voluntarily take responsibility for any payment of taxes. but, being that they're a "venue" (albeit a venue that acts like an owner, with all their rules & regulations), whichever Government agency - or agencies that would be administering this would force them to take responsibility for reporting sales. This will be interesting to see how it pans out

I agree-this will never take hold. Trying to account for pennies in sales tax...is it really worth the time

Oh, eBay will try to fall back on their 'just a venue' claim...however I think they shot themselves in the foot by interfering in transactions (my bad; assist in settling disputes between parties) and now they will be held responsible for tax issues. ::crocodile tears::