IYC: Shatner merch site could cut off Brits

[Bob Jersey]

Lawmakers are thinking about expanding the VAT to foreign sellers, and Bill argues the paperwork's too much for small operations like his...

https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/1316887009198141441 (link)

B

[Adam Bowie]

Ha ha. Although I'm not sure that his info is right. There have definitely been proposals about this, but nothing in concrete yet. 

For what it's worth, in the UK we pay VAT on stuff (think State + Federal Sales Taxes). It's 20%, and it's marked in on the price.  The price you see is the price you pay. No mental arithmetic required to work out how much something will actually cost you. Traders have to pay that VAT back to government.

If I order something from outside the EU - say a cheap camera on the grey market from Hong Kong - then, *I* am currently liable for that tax. The shipping companies collect it. DHL won't hand it over until I pay the VAT on it. They probably charge a fee too. In reality, there are many ways around it. Some mark the value of the contents on the package as low. If it's below £15 ($20ish) then it's exempt anyway. An iPhone case shipped from China for example. Others somehow avoid it. 

I can't see that getting every trader in the world to set up a payment mechanism to the UK HMRC (or tax collecting body) would ever work. Amazon and Shopify could manage it. Few others could. 

But then, I don't believe that this has come into play anyway...

Good to see that Bill pays such close attention to international tax issues!

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[Doug Eastick]

Adam's explanation sounds similar to Canada.... Except our VAT is called GST or HST (depending on the province).

I am impressed that Shatner himself would be informed of this issue, but I guess he has a staff on this issue and he's just being the Chief communicator.

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[David Bruggeman]

Having received emails from Shatner's store, I can confirm he's got staff, and the operation is on the small side.   I have to think there are plenty of merchants in a similar situation.

David