Important for ALL Sellers !!

[HM666]

Originally Posted by ozzy47

TBH, I think this is more targeted at digital download giants, like music, app's for phones and such. I don't see them worrying about some guy, with a website that offers mods/styles/services for vBulletin for sale.

I agree really but I look at it this way. Very soon I will be opening a site that will sell skins for a larger business situation and if the business really takes off nicely then it never hurts to know the laws and what I may have to do.

[ozzy47]

Ohh yeah with out a doubt, it is best to know the laws, and abide by them, but I still do not see how they will enforce this on US based sellers, if the US does not make it a law also.

[HM666]

Yeah agreed. I do not see that being a possibility either.

[TheAdminMarket]

Originally Posted by ozzy47

Ohh yeah with out a doubt, it is best to know the laws, and abide by them, but I still do not see how they will enforce this on US based sellers, if the US does not make it a law also.

USA, Canada, Australia etc have already signed it since 3 years now. The problem is that I don't know the correct name. Is it World Trade Organization or G20 or somethink like this. In anycase is an international organization about trade rules and laws.

If I'm not mistaken they've signed it on the same time as the Harbour Privacy Policy some years ago but the law had not immediate effect.

Sorry but my English is not for discussing such topics

[BirdOPrey5]

Cold day in hell that I collect VAT for Euro governments.

From the Forbes article, at the end:

VAT enforcement efforts focus on the seller, not the consumer. One of the potential weak links of the nonresident VAT rules described is the lack of an enforcement mechanism, formal or informal, for EU countries to obtain the assistance of third countries like the US to help in collecting VAT due by companies based in the US and selling into the EU market. As the OECD quote at the outset of this list suggests, European tax authorities have relied primarily on the good faith of nonresident sellers to sign up for one of the two compliance options available to such sellers since 2003.

It is impossible to enforce this for companies or individuals that don't and will never have a physical presence in Europe.

[HM666]

Originally Posted by BirdOPrey5

Cold day in hell that I collect VAT for Euro governments.

From the Forbes article, at the end:



It is impossible to enforce this for companies or individuals that don't and will never have a physical presence in Europe.

Yep pretty much what I'm thinking. They do not have any jurisdiction here. Any good lawyer could take care of it if they should come chasing you down IMO.

[Paul M]

Basically they have made a rule they hope people outside the EU will use, but they have no way to enforce it other than ask nicely.

[nhawk]

The sad thing is many US companies that do not have a presence in the EU are falling for it and collecting the tax.

Seems to me the US went to war over a similar thing over 200 years ago.

[ozzy47]

I for one would not do it unless the US made it a law also. I mean it's not like if i ever fly to a EU country, they are going to arrest me when I get off the plane for not collecting.

[HM666]

Agreed and yes there was some sort of war around 200 years ago. lol The British found out that we did not take kindly to tax from another country as well.