I know for some, eBay topics are actively discouraged, but certain changes in the wind downunder and no doubt headed north, eventually, have been released.
Our equivalent of your IRS has informed eBay that all members who exceed $20k in sales per year, are required to have their personal information submitted to the tax office. While this may seem an extravagant amount per year, it only takes a few sales for me of personal hobby items to get close to this figure. Everything sold is sold at a loss in respect to the amount paid years ago for the same items. The tax office would treat me as a ‘professional’ and tax me accordingly. Other than powersellers, very few actually make a profit on eBay once insertion, final value and PayPal fees are taken into account.
Now for something positive. As of September 22nd this year, up to thirty items per month may be singly listed without fees being incurred. If the item does not sell then no fees are charged. If item sells, then final value fee is raised from the normal 5.29% to around 7.5%. Only single items may be listed per auction listing. Multiple items per listing require a seller to open an eBay store. This is not applicable to a power seller. Greater than 31 items per month incur normal eBay fees.
The maximum final value fee payable per month on less than thirty items is $49.95 total. Thus one may list thirty items and sell them and still only pay under $50 total per month. This is not applicable to high ticket items like jewellery, property and motor vehicles. Something positive for a change.
If not applicable as yet, in the States then watch this space as eBay ‘trials’ new changes downunder then implements them in the northern hemisphere.
