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U.S. E-Commerce Sites To Collect EU VAT

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the value-added-tax-is-an-oxymoron dept.

A concerned US-based e-commerce company with inter writes "While we have all been fighting the Internet sales tax battle here in the U.S., the European Union of 15 countries has recently required that all U.S. companies with web sales to EU citizens start collecting the value-added tax on July 1, 2003. The Washington Post has a good article about this. It seems Ebay, AOL, and others caved in on this without much complaint. Can U.S. Internet taxation be far behind if we have to start collecting and reporting 15 different VAT taxes? And sorry Mr. or Ms. EU Citizen, your website subscription now costs 15% to 25% more, starting July 1. Hope you like this added value."

2 of 919 comments (clear)

  1. Darn by YeeHaW_Jelte · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've been buying a lot online in the States lately because of the bonus I now get with the Euro being valued so high against the dollar. This will neatly compensate for the savings I make on the exchange rate.

    However, there's nothing really new actually, because officially you were supposed to pay the VAT taxes when the product went through custom. The thing was, some packages would be intercepted in customs, and you'd get a bill for the VAT, and others wouldn't. Profit!

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    "The chances of a demonic possession spreading are remote -- relax."
  2. Re:VAT by GothChip · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Because we also pay Income tax.

    I don't mind the idea of paying tax. It's just the idea of paying tax when you earn it, paying tax when you spend it and paying tax when you even save it.

    Why can't we just get taxed once.

    But the most evil tax has to be inheritance tax. Even when you die you end up paying tax.