eBay, etc. General Question/Answer Thread

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It's not just ebay though.

And is it because ebay, Tradesy, Bonanza, etc. are US-based so the US Supreme Court can stipulate what the states can do but Rakuten being Japan-based, they aren't bound by what the Supreme Court says?
It shouldn't make a difference. I don't think the supreme court decision impacted foreign purchases. Those would go through customs, which is federal, not state.
 
My point is that Rakuten wouldn't be collecting sales tax.
Rakuten Global Market doesn’t and cannot collect 50 state and local sales taxes, they are a foreign based entity. Mind you Rakuten has other US based subsidiaries that do and should collect sales taxes as governed by Supreme Court decision.

So once upon a time, the commerce battle was between domestic internet and brick and mortar retailers, then that’s been recently sorted out by the highest court. At the international level, there’s the trade wars, ever heard of those? Claims of unfair practices amongst nations since the age of dawn, but in any event this isn’t something the Supreme Court would ever get involved in, just not their gig.
 
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It shouldn't make a difference. I don't think the supreme court decision impacted foreign purchases. Those would go through customs, which is federal, not state.
Indeed only Congress can regulate international trade and commerce, and they have charts upon charts to cover this already. It’s not that the Supreme Court is overstepping their jurisdiction, only eBay is gravely misapplying the law cuz they put no thought into their policy decision, or even consulted a proper lawyer.
 
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All things being equal, an item listed by a Japanese retailer on eBay and Rakuten (multiple platforms highly likely not to mention frequently), eBay would automatically assess me as buyer based on my shipping address state and local taxes but none from Rakuten except for duty IF and ONLY IF assessed by US Customs under certain conditions. Absolutely insane and illogical what eBay is doing!!

Guess where I’m likely to buy my stuff now...
When paying for Aliexpress, they take the tax, they add it in the calculation. I think it already does the bank because I pay by credit card.
 
The bottom line is that when you make a purchase, you are supposed to pay the sales/use tax. When buying on Ebay over the years, while we were not having it added onto purchases, if your state has a sales/use tax, we were supposed to pay it on our state tax returns. Obviously, most people did not do so. Now, the issue is being forced. If you live in a state that does not have a sales tax, you won't be paying one. I know there is a lot more to it as far as how it all worked in the past. So, when companies are charging the tax, it is overall, just what you would do if you went to your local shop and purchased.

I remember 30+ years ago, people driving hours to make large purchases in order to avoid sales tax. For a long while, the internet made that even easier. The states realized the revenue being lost and rectified it. I don't like it, but I get it.
 
The bottom line is that when you make a purchase, you are supposed to pay the sales/use tax. When buying on Ebay over the years, while we were not having it added onto purchases, if your state has a sales/use tax, we were supposed to pay it on our state tax returns. Obviously, most people did not do so. Now, the issue is being forced. If you live in a state that does not have a sales tax, you won't be paying one. I know there is a lot more to it as far as how it all worked in the past. So, when companies are charging the tax, it is overall, just what you would do if you went to your local shop and purchased.

I remember 30+ years ago, people driving hours to make large purchases in order to avoid sales tax. For a long while, the internet made that even easier. The states realized the revenue being lost and rectified it. I don't like it, but I get it.
This issue has been decided by the Supreme Court, sales tax WITHIN the 50 states at the local and state level is now set in the proverbial stone. The issue I raised is taxing on purchases shipped FROM OVERSEAS which is regulated by the federal govt through tariffs and duties. This isn’t something that’s done and the state level and eBay has misapplied regulations.

I am not aware that Poshmark has an international presence other than Canada (not familiar if Canadian Poshers can sell to US and vice versa), sellers may opt to use US addresses when they list, and highly possible that they ship from overseas but that’s a deliberate circumvention on their part not PM. Canadian transactions are covered under NAFTA agreement, from my experience, one pays state taxes but not local when importing depending on types of goods. Again NAFTA is under federal jurisdiction.
 
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This issue has been decided by the Supreme Court, sales tax WITHIN the 50 states at the local and state level is now set in the proverbial stone. The issue I raised is taxing on purchases shipped FROM OVERSEAS which is regulated by the federal govt through tariffs and duties. This isn’t something that’s done and the state level and eBay has misapplied regulations.

I am not aware that Poshmark has an international presence other than Canada (not familiar if Canadian Poshers can sell to US and vice versa), sellers may opt to use US addresses when they list, and highly possible that they ship from overseas but that’s a deliberate circumvention on their part not PM. Canadian transactions are covered under NAFTA agreement, from my experience, one pays state taxes but not local when importing depending on types of goods. Again NAFTA is under federal jurisdiction.

Every state (all except Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon) that imposes a general sales tax also imposes a use tax. Technically, goods you buy through online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay are subject to your state's sales/use tax. This includes purchases from non-U.S. sellers who sell on those platforms.

"Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not collect state sales tax on goods imported into the U.S. However, CBP will make entries and CBP declarations available to state tax representatives if requested. Some states occasionally review these documents and send letters to importers and travelers notifying them that they owe state taxes."
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/295/~/taxes-on-imported-goods
 
I just discovered something interesting. I couldn’t understand why eBay wouldn’t let me open unpaid items cases within 2 days like it used to. The answer, my friends, is something you’d think is totally unrelated. If you offer combined shipping, buyers have 3 days to pay. This conflicts with the 2 day UPI setting. Unless you’re selling a lot of items, turn off that feature and you’ll get your 2 day UPI option back. I just did and hit the deadbeat buyer with a case.
 
I just discovered something interesting. I couldn’t understand why eBay wouldn’t let me open unpaid items cases within 2 days like it used to. The answer, my friends, is something you’d think is totally unrelated. If you offer combined shipping, buyers have 3 days to pay. This conflicts with the 2 day UPI setting. Unless you’re selling a lot of items, turn off that feature and you’ll get your 2 day UPI option back. I just did and hit the deadbeat buyer with a case.
I offer combined shipping although I rarely use it because most buyers only buy one item.

But I have my settings set to open a dispute in 2 days and it happens automatically. Offering combined shipping doesn't seem to make a difference.
 
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