Has eBay changed their sales tax policy on freight forwarders?
I live outside the US and use Aeropost, a very well known Florida-based freight forwarder who service a lot of countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.
They have a Florida sales-tax exempt address/zip code, and for many years eBay has recognised this when shipping to their address and not added sales tax.
The last few things I've bought on eBay, however, HAVE had sales tax added.
Has something changed? It can't be that one has to go back to eBay for every individual purchase (and these freight forwarders do everything - customs clearance, local delivery, etc. - so there is no bill of lading etc. in my name).
15 comments
krazzykats
·4 months agoHave you contacted Aeropost and asked them?
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soh.maryl
·4 months agoYou are registered as being in the United States which I found confusing, given the fact that you're using a freight forwarder and state that you live outside the US.
I no longer sell here and rarely buy any more, but, when an international buyer uses a freight forwarder, do they register as being in the US? Forgive me if I am not current with those rules and regulations.
valueaddedresource
·4 months ago@soh.maryl this may not apply to the OP, but I've seen this scenario play out with people who might live in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands (which would show US for their profile location) but use freight forwarders to purchase items from sellers who don't ship directly to those locations.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoIn two different posts, the OP states he doesn't live in the United States, so I assumed he did not live in the US. Perhaps I was in error.
valueaddedresource
·4 months ago@soh.maryl I didn't say you were in error and in fact even explicitly said it might not apply to the OP - I was just giving one example I've run across in the past to show that someone having their account showing as registered in the US while also using a freight forwarder isn't particularly odd and shouldn't affect the tax calculation.
kitfo
OP4 months agoI don't live in the US (although I used to) - same eBay account almost since eBay started. 20+ years of living outside the US, no other changes to billing address, shipping address, etc. and no issues with it until now, that's why I am inquiring.
Thanks for the feedback everyone - I am going to contact eBay directly and see what they say.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoOr you could contact the appropriate department in the government of the State of Florida.
valueaddedresource
·4 months ago@kitfo
You can download the full list of authorized freight forwarders from the FL department of revenue here:
https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/Documents/forwardingAgents.xlsx
I do see Aeropost is still active on the list, are you using this address including the full 9 digit zip code when you place an order?
1 Aeropost Way Miami FL 33206-3206
kitfo
OP4 months agoHi - thanks for that list, and yes I am using the full 9-digit zip code.
valueaddedresource
·4 months ago@kitfo then unfortunately this is something you will need to contact eBay support about directly.
You can contact them here:
https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/paying-items/paying-tax-ebay-purchases?id=4771#contactWay
or they do also still offer social support through Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/ebay/
edit to add: I checked with a boat parts seller I know who frequently gets orders from buyers using FL freight forwarders and they confirmed as recently as last week they had orders going to other forwarders in FL who are on the list where the order used the full 9 digit zip code and sales tax was not charged by eBay on those orders.
So that still has me leaning toward there is something specific to OPs situation/address/forwarder that eBay isn't recognizing rather than this being a change in policy or procedure, but only eBay would be able to answer that for sure.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months agoIt's not an 'ebay' thing. It's a Freight Forwarder and State things.
Some forwarders 'lost' their 'exemption as the State of Florida DOES want sales tax for Every item purchased/shipped into their state.
The shipping address must use the 9 digit zip code.
The FF must have a valid exemption, which renews and must be proven, every year.
12345jamesstamps
·4 months agoIt saids here your eBay ID in feedbacks as in USA so that could be why.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoI thought the state sales tax on any purchase was based on the buyer's delivery address.
The OP's delivery address is apparently a freight forwarder in FL as he has mentioned and this address with the 9 digit zip has always been state sales tax exempt up until recently.
monroe67
·4 months ago"Has eBay changed their sales tax policy on freight forwarders?"
IF eBay has a policy on sales taxes it probably reads something like this:
eBay, Inc., complies with the sales taxation laws of the state (or nation) of delivery.
In other words, eBay probably has not changed their sales tax policy.
The state of Florida, however, might have.
If it helps you any, yours is not the first post to mention the fact that Florida is now collecting sales taxes on deliveries to zip codes that were previously exempt.
kitfo
OP4 months agoThanks - I've confirmed that nothing has changed with the State of Florida or with the forwarder themselves.
Amazon and other large retailers do not add sales tax - just eBay in my experience.