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Started by IntoAnother,

4,164 posts in this topic

Mr. Spider-Woman

Mr. Spider-Woman

Posted
Posted

I've sold a few non-comic things on eBay over the past few months but what I have left isn't moving. It's mostly random stuff from my house. I suspect nobody wants it and paying sales tax doesn't factor into equation.

As a buyer, sales tax hasn't made me reconsider many purchases because most of what I buy is relatively cheap. I do wish eBay would hand out heftier discounts or eBay Bucks promotions. A 10% discount or eBay Bucks offer barely covers tax, it's not saving a ton of money. I have a 10% discount right now and I doubt I'll use it because it's not worth it. But 20%? That would be worth it.

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1Cool

1Cool

Posted
Posted
On 11/23/2019 at 1:20 PM, Mr. Spider-Woman said:

I've sold a few non-comic things on eBay over the past few months but what I have left isn't moving. It's mostly random stuff from my house. I suspect nobody wants it and paying sales tax doesn't factor into equation.

As a buyer, sales tax hasn't made me reconsider many purchases because most of what I buy is relatively cheap. I do wish eBay would hand out heftier discounts or eBay Bucks promotions. A 10% discount or eBay Bucks offer barely covers tax, it's not saving a ton of money. I have a 10% discount right now and I doubt I'll use it because it's not worth it. But 20%? That would be worth it.

I'd probably take a look if I got a 10% off coupon but all I get is the stupid 10% ebucks.  i don't want to have to buy something at full price and then buy something for 10% off (really 5% off at that point).

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Robot Man

Robot Man

Posted
Posted

The tax situation has probably hit eBay pretty hard. That, and the time of year maybe. I rarely sell or buy much there anymore. Poor or lower sales and as a buyer, way more returns. Even though I have a current state resale number, EBay fails to recognize it and seems very poorly equipped to deal with it.

My wife has a shop on Ruby Lane. She sells quality antiques. I usually have some of my non comic book stuff there. Sales have been terrible there. They also charge $125 per month for us to sell there. They recently instated tax there as well. They are now charging a 3% surcharge on both the buyer AND seller to process it. Haven’t sold anything since. People are going crazy on their site. After 15 years there, she will be closing her shop at the end of the year.

Live shows are doing better and better for us. I see checks and money orders making a big comeback as well. 

“The times they are changing” people. I wonder how the big auction houses and consigners are really doing? 

Question... aren’t “used goods” non taxable? Shouldn’t they be as the tax was originally paid when the items were new. 

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1Cool

1Cool

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Robot Man said:

The tax situation has probably hit eBay pretty hard. That, and the time of year maybe. I rarely sell or buy much there anymore. Poor or lower sales and as a buyer, way more returns. Even though I have a current state resale number, EBay fails to recognize it and seems very poorly equipped to deal with it.

My wife has a shop on Ruby Lane. She sells quality antiques. I usually have some of my non comic book stuff there. Sales have been terrible there. They also charge $125 per month for us to sell there. They recently instated tax there as well. They are now charging a 3% surcharge on both the buyer AND seller to process it. Haven’t sold anything since. People are going crazy on their site. After 15 years there, she will be closing her shop at the end of the year.

Live shows are doing better and better for us. I see checks and money orders making a big comeback as well. 

“The times they are changing” people. I wonder how the big auction houses and consigners are really doing? 

Question... aren’t “used goods” non taxable? Shouldn’t they be as the tax was originally paid when the items were new. 

December is usually a decent month in the past but we will really see how things are going when December 26 hits.  The end of December and January are usually great selling periods so we will see. 

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1Cool

1Cool

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Posted
23 minutes ago, DavidTheDavid said:

I have been getting good offers from some sellers whose listings I’ve watched. I’m still happy making the right buy from the right eBay seller.

The low ball offers have been coming out of the wood works over the last month.  Definetely a buyers market if you are looking for the non hot book of the week or hot keys.

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the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, 1Cool said:

December is usually a decent month in the past but we will really see how things are going when December 26 hits.  The end of December and January are usually great selling periods so we will see. 

I have not had much action at all in about 2 weeks now, but my stock is probably a little stale. I think the perpetual ebay bucks is a way to offset the sales tax, but I'm not sure folks see it that way.

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the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted
On ‎11‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 5:58 PM, Robot Man said:

The tax situation has probably hit eBay pretty hard. That, and the time of year maybe. I rarely sell or buy much there anymore. Poor or lower sales and as a buyer, way more returns. Even though I have a current state resale number, EBay fails to recognize it and seems very poorly equipped to deal with it.

My wife has a shop on Ruby Lane. She sells quality antiques. I usually have some of my non comic book stuff there. Sales have been terrible there. They also charge $125 per month for us to sell there. They recently instated tax there as well. They are now charging a 3% surcharge on both the buyer AND seller to process it. Haven’t sold anything since. People are going crazy on their site. After 15 years there, she will be closing her shop at the end of the year.

Live shows are doing better and better for us. I see checks and money orders making a big comeback as well. 

“The times they are changing” people. I wonder how the big auction houses and consigners are really doing? 

Question... aren’t “used goods” non taxable? Shouldn’t they be as the tax was originally paid when the items were new. 

No.  There is an exception here for periodicals though. In New York, you don't need to charge sales tax if you sell the back issue for less than cover price: https://www.tax.ny.gov/pdf/advisory_opinions/sales/a10_35s.pdf

Good luck getting ebay to figure that out!!!

STATE OF NEW YORK

COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE

ADVISORY OPINION                  PETITION NO. S100302B

On  March  2,  2010,  the  Department  of  Taxation  and  Finance  received  a  Petition  for 
Advisory Opinion from                                         ed.   Petitioner asks whether
receipts from the sale of graphic novel comic books, trade paperbacks that contain multiple issues
of comic books, and single back issues of comics are subject to sales tax.

We conclude that back issues of comics published at stated intervals at least four times a year are
exempt from sales tax as periodicals if sold at a price not greater than the original retail sales
price.  Graphic novels and trade paperbacks do not qualify as periodicals; therefore, the receipts
from their sale are subject to sales tax as the sale of tangible personal property.

Facts

Petitioner submitted the following facts as the basis for this Advisory Opinion.

Petitioner sells comic books, graphic novels, and trade paperbacks. Most of Petitioner’s comic book
sales are of new issues.  Back comic book issues account for a small percentage of Petitioner’s
sales receipts. Petitioner sells some back issues of comic books at below the initial retail
offering price; others are sold at a price above the initial retail offering price.

Petitioner sells graphic novels that are in the form of comic books; these publications can be from
40 to  1000  pages  in  length.  Each  novel  is  an  original  work.  Sample  titles  are  “Maus,”
 “Watchmen,”  and Asdterios.”

A trade paperback is usually a collection of specific comic books from a series:   4 to 12 issues
are contained in a volume.

Analysis

Section 1115(a)(5) of the Tax Law exempts newspapers and periodicals from sales tax.

The  term  “periodical”  is  defined  in  section  528.6  of  the  sales  and  use  tax 
regulations.  This  regulation provides in part:

(c)  Definition  of  a  periodical.  (1)  In  order  to  constitute  a  periodical,  a  publication
 must conform generally to the following requirements:

(i)  it  must  be  published  in  printed  or  written  form  at  stated  intervals,  at  least  as
frequently as four times a year;

(ii) it must not, either singly or, when successive issues are put together, constitute a

book;


TSB-A-10(35)S

Sales Tax August 10, 2010

- 2 -

(iii) it must be available for circulation to the public;

(iv) it  must have continuity  as to title  and general  nature of content from issue to issue; and

(v)  each  issue  must  contain  a  variety  of  articles  by  different  authors  devoted  to
literature,  the  sciences  or  the  arts,  news,  some  special  industry,  profession,  sport  or
 other field of endeavor.

A comic book that is published serially under the same title at least once quarterly is exempt as a
periodical. 20 NYCRR §528.6(c)(3), Example 1.

The regulations also provide that:

A publication which was originally a periodical but which is sold at a price which does not reflect
 its  normal  retail  selling  price  shall  be  deemed  to  be  sold  as  tangible  personal 
property  for collection or investment purposes and not as a periodical. 20 NYCRR §528.6(c)(4)

The sale of a new issue of a comic book published at stated intervals at least four times a year is
exempt from sales tax because the new issues qualify as periodicals. The retail sale of an old
issue of a comic book that would qualify as a periodical if sold new still qualifies for the
periodical exemption if the old issue is sold at or below its initial retail price.  Petitioner’s
sales of back issues of comic books that would qualify as a periodical if sold new are subject to
sales tax only if the back issue is sold at a price greater than the initial retail price.

The retail sale of a graphic novel that is in the form of a  comic  book is subject to sales tax.
The novels are not published at stated intervals; they are books. As such, these publications do
not satisfy the criteria to qualify as exempt periodicals.

A trade paperback that is a collection of a specific comic book series is subject to sales tax.
These paperbacks are not published at stated intervals; they are books. As such, these publications
do not satisfy the criteria to qualify as exempt periodicals.

DATED:  August 10, 2010                                                                          
/S/

Jonathan Pessen

Director of Advisory Opinions Office of Counsel

NOTE:              An Advisory Opinion is issued at the request of a person or entity. It is
limited to the facts  set  forth  therein  and  is  binding  on  the  Department  only  with 
respect  to  the person  or  entity  to  whom  it  is  issued  and  only  if  the  person  or 
entity  fully  and accurately  describes  all  relevant  facts.  An  Advisory  Opinion  is  based 
on  the  law, regulations, and Department policies in effect as of the date the Opinion is issued
or for the specific time period at issue in the Opinion.

 

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the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted

I have decided that in order to have some breathing room. In the comic cave I need to loose 5000-7500 comics. Books I had dreams of selling for $2-5 will be much less, but not that much. Much less I might as well donate and get a deduction. I understand moderns are tricky, but I have thousands of beat SA, ok BA and CA I can part with. When putting together 40-60 issue lots do you think it is best to group them by title/character or to have mixed lots to potentially appeal to more people? Same for moderns, but I understand they are more challenging to sell.

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jsilverjanet

jsilverjanet

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, the blob said:

I have decided that in order to have some breathing room. In the comic cave I need to loose 5000-7500 comics. Books I had dreams of selling for $2-5 will be much less, but not that much. Much less I might as well donate and get a deduction. I understand moderns are tricky, but I have thousands of beat SA, ok BA and CA I can part with. When putting together 40-60 issue lots do you think it is best to group them by title/character or to have mixed lots to potentially appeal to more people? Same for moderns, but I understand they are more challenging to sell.

Same title or genre work best 

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jsilverjanet

jsilverjanet

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

What is wrong with people, that buyers who have a problem can't be bothered to contact sellers PRIOR TO opening up a "return case" against them...?

I just don't get it.

 

Same issue with my recent experience. Then they get mad because you actually accept the return 

:doh: 

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cigars&comix

cigars&comix

Posted
Posted (edited)
9 minutes ago, jsilverjanet said:

Same issue with my recent experience. Then they get mad because you actually accept the return 

:doh: 

or you offer a partial refund and they keep it, or you offer full refund if they return (shipping paid) and STILL they give you a negative feedback first. hello?

Just say "no thanks i just want to return it" and done.

its like they need to vent out all their frustrations on you. luckily ebay lets you publicly post a reply now to clear your name.

Edited by cigars&comix
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