Taxation invading EBAY!!!

United States
October 14, 2007 3:05pm CST
Recently I had bought a sony camera on Ebay, the camera sold around 220 USD to 300 USD in store; I thought I was too expensive and might get cheaper on ebay. So I search the website. Soon I found plenty of the exact same cameras selling at prices of below 200. The winning bid price is average at 180 to 200 USD, brand new. Some of them even comes with memory card. This is a great great price to get a sony camera, so immediately I started to search all similar bidding, and watch these items carefully each day. After fighting with serveral bidders, clicking refresh button every second at the last minute, lose the battle on many items,I finally won a camera at the price of 176 dollars. The feeling at the moment when the winning page comes up, congradulating me as a winner,is unbelivable good. I started to shout and jump around my room. After a while the emotion went down, but I still have a smile on my face.I went back to my computer and ready to pay the camera, the invoice page comes up, and my smile froze right the way,there was an estimate of 20 dollars tax in addition to the camera! I rubbed my eyes to make sure that is true. This is the first time ever that I have been taxed from online buying. Although the total price is still lower than buying from store, the happiness of getting the camera already disappered. I guess I am in completely shock that taxation has invaded Ebay. After all, one of the main reasons that we love to buy online stuff is because of tax-free policy. As of now, the tax only applied to people reside at the state that the product is at, but who knows when it will applied to all states. If that happened, do you think you will still be willing to buy online? What do you think of the taxation? Any thought?
1 person likes this
2 responses
kris182_2000
@kris182_2000 (5444)
• Canada
14 Oct 07
If the seller is a business, they can charge tax for the state/province the business is located in. Private sellers don't usually charge tax. If it's a business, they are registered with the IRS/CRA and have to report the taxes they charge on items. It's nothing new, and I see it on a daily basis.
tina031786
@tina031786 (38)
• United States
14 Oct 07
I know that some public business does have tax. but not private business. what I am talking about is private sellers, its like everyone on ebay has a tax policy. This is not there before
Casey Heinzism
@dnatureofdtrain (5273)
• Janesville, Wisconsin
14 Oct 07
Well Sony is a company, and they have to abide by taxation laws even on the internet.... Just as anyone else does... It is upsetting.. and I do not like taxes and I think it should either be a volunteer tax, or a fair tax.. If the people would all pull together and fund things that are needed on their own we would not need taxes, but not everyone will voluntairly put their hard earned money towards other needs. - DNatureofDTrain
tina031786
@tina031786 (38)
• United States
14 Oct 07
Not just sony, it is applied to any item on ebay. I have searched other items on the site and they all have the same rule. Probabaly restricted by ebay.