eBay urged sellers to sign a petition opposing internet sales tax to “protect your small business.” eBay will present the petition to President Trump, members of Congress, and state governors.
eBay Senior Vice President of eBay Americas Marketplace Scott Cutler also posted a message on the eBay Main Street blog telling members to “rest assured that eBay will continue to fight this battle on behalf of all of our valued customers.”
The Supreme Court is deliberating South Dakota v. Wayfair, a case that could overturn Quill vs. North Dakota and allow tax agencies to force merchants with no physical presence in their states to calculate, collect, and remit sales tax on transactions made to their residents.
Announcement follows:
eBay supports tax policy that is fair to entrepreneurs, artisans and small businesses and opposes efforts to impose taxes that are harmful to sellers like you, who are vital to the American economy. For all the small business sellers that use eBay there has never been a more critical time to stand against new and unfair Internet taxes.
The U.S. Supreme Court will make a decision in the coming weeks that could give states the right to tax every small business on the Internet.
The issue is just as pressing on Capitol Hill. States, shopping center owners and giant retailers are lobbying hard to increase taxes on small business owners like you, and everyone who buys from you online. When the Supreme Court makes its decision, it will bring together the various threads on the issue of Internet sales tax.
Our leaders in Washington, DC and in state capitals across America need to know how you feel about new Internet tax burdens – burdens that could negatively impact your ability to sell online in a variety of ways. The link below takes you to a petition we plan to deliver to President Trump, key members of Congress and select state governors. Please digitally sign the petition today. It will take you less than three minutes and help us tell political leaders that you stand with us against these new taxes.
Feel free to encourage your networks to also sign the petition. Rest assured that eBay will continue to fight this battle on your behalf!
SOURCE: eBay Announcement
What Ebay is most afraid of is the fact that if taxes must be collected, they will have to administer the program. No, small sellers will not have to write a check to Podunk County, Arkansas for 12 cents because someone bought a $4 item, and their local tax rate is 3%.
Ebay will have to charge the Podunkian the tax, and send the payment. This (God forbid) means more employees will need to be put on the payroll, which will cut into their already small profits.
It will also prevent dropship artists from charging a tax and then pocketing the money. This may cause many drop shippers to go out of business, since these profits (from collecting taxes that are never remitted to the proper authorities) are most often more than what is made on the actual “sale”.
When eBay Payments kick in, they will be the merchant of record, and the states will be after them.
Yes they will and they will have to do more programming which will be an absolute mess.
They won’t get my signature. I’m all ready for structured online sales tax. It’s long overdue.
I don’t know the #’s. But it’s got to be hurting city and state budgets.
What the Sam Hill do you people not understand ?
It is UNCONSTITUTIONAL to lay tax on items sold over state lines.
ARTICLE 1, SECTION 9, PARAGRAPH 5 :
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
Stupid people.
Stupid decision! Why not just raise foreign seller fee so that can prevent money outflow. we can collect more taxes on foreigner, and we can also increase our incomes.