Search
Related Links

 

 

Informative Articles

Find the Right Service to Prepare Your Taxes
It is possible to save money on your tax preparation fees by doing some advance preparation of your own. Make sure that you organize your paperwork and receipts to save time and ensure nothing is missed. It is still important to review your...
How To Touch The Hands Of Greatness
I knocked on the door nervously and waited. Finally a tall young man opened the door and looked at me calmly. He was tired. "Yes?" he asked, expressionless. "Is D-D-D-Dave there?" I stammered. "Sure. Just a minute." Chris disappeared as quickly...
Relocating for Retirement? Which Realtor Can Help You?
Relocating for Retirement? Which REALTOR Can Help You? I am a native of Tidewater Virginia, which encompasses counties and towns in the Chesapeake Bay area from Virginia Beach, to Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg and New Kent County. Even before...
Taxes, Taxes, Taxes: Who Really Pays The Most?
Each April our thoughts turn to the coming of spring and the coming of the tax man. I hear a lot of people complaining about taxes at this time of year. Not just that they have to do their taxes and spend hours pouring over old records and trying...
Uncle Sam is Ready...Are You? Organizing Tips for Tax Time
Anyone who is closely related to an accountant knows that there are not four, but five seasons in a year: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and 'Tax Season.' During the other seasons, we accumulate leaves, snow, and mosquito bites. During 'Tax...
 
Do You Pay Taxes On eBay Income?

Small Business Q&A with Tim Knox

Q: I read your last column about paying income tax on eBay sales
if you are doing it as a business, but as someone who only sells
on eBay occasionally I'm still confused if the IRS rules apply
to me. Can you tell me more?
-- Norman L.

A: Last week's column on whether you were required to report
income earned from eBay sales to the IRS sparked a number of
additional questions and comments from eBay sellers who were
hoping that I could somehow validate that their eBay activities
were mere hobbies instead of actual businesses and therefore not
susceptible to IRS taxation.

Several folks argued that just because their little eBay hobby
generated a little cash, that didn't make it a full blown
business. It seems they consider the income from their little
hobby to be financial manna from Heaven and thereby not taxable
by earthly tax collectors. I've always been amused by folks
who try to impress me with talk about their "little side
business" but when the subject turns to taxes they suddenly
refer to it as "my little hobby."

All kidding aside, the conclusion that I came to after reading
each email was always the same: while you may think selling on
eBay is just a fun pastime and the money you're making is not
reportable as income, depending on the circumstances, the IRS
would probably disagree with you.

It seems that everyone likes making money, but hates carving
off a piece for good old Uncle Sam. Welcome to free enterprise,
folks. If you're going to come to the dance you have to pay
the fiddler.

The IRS rules are clear: you must pay taxes on all personal
and business income and that includes money you make selling
on Ebay.

In its most basic sense, the IRS rules can be interpreted to
mean that if you buy an old vase at a garage sale for $10 and
sell it on eBay (or elsewhere) for $20 you made a $10 profit
and therefore must report it as income and pay Uncle Sam his
fair share.

In reality, if you are a casual seller who only sells a few
items on eBay every now and then it's doubtful the IRS is going
to let loose an army of agents to collect taxes on the few bucks
you make. However, if you consistently sell on eBay the IRS
may deem your activities to be business oriented and you will
be required to file a Schedule C and


claim the income.

As mentioned last week, the IRS uses a number of factors to
determine if an eBay hobby that generates sales revenue is
actually a business.

These factors include:
- Do you carry on the hobby in a business-like manner?
- Do you spend considerable time working on the hobby?
- Do you depend on income from your hobby for your livelihood?

If the answer to any or all of these question is yes, you're
running a business, not carrying on a hobby, and you are
responsible for paying taxes on your income.

What's eBay's take on all this? Naturally eBay is vehemently
opposed to anything that might rock the eBay boat. eBay does
not does not issue 1099 tax forms to sellers, nor does it report
seller's sales figures to the IRS.

Ebay considers itself merely to be a facilitator, meaning that
they provide a marketplace in which buyers and sellers come
together to do business.

Furthermore, under it's current system it would be impossible
for eBay to issue accurate 1099s to sellers. eBay does not
track if a seller actually gets paid by the buyer, so eBay has
no idea how much money - if any - actually changes hands at
the end of each transaction.

On the bright side, if you do sell on eBay as a business you
can deduct a number of business expenses, including the cost
of inventory, listing fees, shipping, envelopes, packing
materials, etc.

You might also be able to deduct things like the purchase of a
computer for business use, office space (even if it's a home
office), office supplies, and more.

Talk to your accountant if there's any doubt as to whether
you should or should not be paying taxes on your eBay earnings.

Here's to your success!

Tim Knox
tim@dropshipwholesale.net
For information on starting your own online or eBay business,
visit http://www.dropshipwholesale.net

About the Author

Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur and
syndicated columnist, Tim Knox. Tim serves as the president and
CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder
of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to
the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs.

Related Links:
http://www.smallbusinessqa.com
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net
http://www.30dayblueprint.com
http://www.timknox.com

 

Internal Revenue Service
The US government agency responsible for tax collection and tax law enforcement. Includes income tax forms, instructions, and agency publications.
www.irs.gov
 
Tax Information for Individuals
Access to useful information, booklets and other tools from the Internal Revenue Service.
www.irs.gov
 
Tax Center - Yahoo! Finance - Tax forms, tips and calculators.
Yahoo! Finance: Tax - Find all the resources you need for tax season. Review recent tax law changes, estimate your taxes, find tax tips and expert answers ...
tax.yahoo.com
 
Taxes: Tax Planning, Tools and Advice - MSN Money
Microsoft's Tax Preparation site, in association with Tax Server.
moneycentral.msn.com
 
Tax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Governments use different kinds of taxes and vary the tax rates: ... Taxes are most often levied as a percentage, called the tax rate, of a certain value, ...
en.wikipedia.org
 
H&R Block | Taxes, Online Tax Preparation, Tax Software, Filing ...
Offers online and in-person tax preparation and tax software, mortgages, brokerage and financial services, consumer tips and tax planning information.
www.hrblock.com
 
TaxCut Online | H&R Block | Online Taxes, File Taxes Online ...
File your Taxes online with TaxCut Online. Learn how to file taxes online here.
www.hrblock.com
 
Income Taxes, Tax Returns, Refunds, Deductions and E-File Software ...
Popular tax preparation software by Intuit. Integrates with Quicken, spreadsheets and offers state by state electronic filing.
turbotax.intuit.com
 
Taxes & Estates, Tax and Estate Planning Advice - Forbes.com
Personal Finance - Get tax and estate planning advice and information from Forbes.com.
www.forbes.com
 
Essential Links to Taxes
TurboTax Premier For Federal Returns 2005 Win/Mac, TurboTax Total Tax Solution Deluxe 2005 with State Win/Mac, TurboTax Basic 2005 Win/Mac... ...
www.el.com
 
Government > Taxes in the Yahoo! Directory
Yahoo! reviewed these sites and found them related to Government > Taxes.
dir.yahoo.com
 
Taxes - Tax News for Home and Business from CNNMoney
The latest in tax law updates, news, forms & advice from CNNMoney.com. Includes a refund savings calculator, and interactive tax lessons.
money.cnn.com
 
The Tax Foundation - Educating Taxpayers Since 1937
Devoted to educating taxpayers about tax policy and the total tax burden borne by Americans at all levels of government.
www.taxfoundation.org
 
Welcome to the Vermont Department of Taxes
Welcome to the Vermont Department of Taxes... ... Changes to Property Tax Adjustments in 2007 - updated 10/18. - Tax Expenditures Transition Report on ...
www.state.vt.us
 
Franchise Tax Board Homepage
The department that collects state personal income taxes and bank and corporation taxes for the State of California. Access to forms and tax information.
www.ftb.ca.gov
 
HM Revenue & Customs: Home Page
News and information on tax and national insurance, including downloadable leaflets and forms and the latest news on filing tax returns on-line.
www.hmrc.gov.uk
 
State and Local Tax
Piper Resources; State Tax Rates and Structure ...Federation of Tax Administrators; State Payroll Taxes Information ...Symmetry Software ...
www.taxsites.com
 
Quicken.com
www.quicken.com/taxes/ - 3k - Cached - Similar pages
 
Tax news and advice from Bankrate.com
Information on all phases of tax planning and preparation.
www.bankrate.com
 
Online Tax Advice - Tax Preparation Help - Income Tax Tips
Income Tax Tips - MarketWatch offers online tax advice and tips. ... IRS inflation adjustments mean tax break on next year's taxes. ...
www.marketwatch.com
 
 

 
Content Menu
  • 10 ways to find the money hiding in your paycheck

  • 1 001 deals and steals a guide to online classifieds

  • 23 things to say when someone wants to pick your brain

  • 33 essential year end financial tasks

  • 4 bulletproof strategies that let real estate professionals cut their federal taxes

  • 4 simple steps to reduce your taxes

  • 50 unbelievable benefits of joint venture marketing

  • 5 magic points should i buy or rent my home

  • 5 things about offshore asset protection every internet marketer should know

  • 5 ways to protect your bond portfolio from rising interest rates

  • 7 cash flow secrets your accountant never told you

  • 7 financial strategies for transitioning from salaried to solo

  • 7 secrets to writing inventory procedures

  • adjustable vs fixed rate mortgages

  • advantages and disadvantages of a reverse mortgage

  • an introduction to incorporating in florida

  • an introduction to taxes how you pay and file

  • are you an innocent victim of these popular myths

  • are you overpaying taxes if you use tax preparation software

  • are you ready to own and operate a business

  • are you tired of tenants toilets and trash

  • auto loans dont dig a money pit in your garage

  • a look at small business incorporating in florida

  • a singles game of real estate

  • a source is a source of course of course

  • bankruptcy basics

  • basic home loan terms explained

  • basic steps to start a laminate flooring business

  • beating taxes inflation

  • begging your trust in africa

  • business or hobby what would the irs call your business

  • buying a business

  • buying new construction how do i begin

  • buying overseas property

  • buy now retire later an investment in your dreams

  • cafeteria plan employee benefit should be another feather in your benefit programs cap

  • can nurses be entrepreneurs

  • chattanooga mortgage

  • child and dependent care credit can help you save on your taxes

  • coming to a business like yours webware

  • conditions are right for buying the higher priced home youve always wanted

  • control health care costs and save taxes

  • corporations failing to claim amt exemption overpay taxes by 11 000

  • corruption and transparency

  • creating time the virtual way how virtual assistants are simplifying life for small business owners

  • credit counseling or bankruptcy which is best for you

  • currencies taxes and citizenship

  • cut your taxes and receive a 5000 refund start a home based business

  • deadlines approaching for filing 1099s for independent contractors

  • death and taxes two certainties of life

  • death taxes

  • death taxes and the non automated phone systems

  • debt settlement income taxes what you need to know

  • debunking the fafsa myth

  • defining a long term investment in the stock market

  • disaster decision do you need insurance

  • dont wait for tax time to look at the bottom line

  • do the hardest thing first and the rest will be easy

  • do your own taxes

  • do you need a financial planner

  • do you pay taxes on ebay income

  • economic survival in the 21st century the three key questions to ask

  • eight ways to consolidate debt

  • email scam warnings

  • employment taxes depositing with the irs

  • employment taxes what are they

  • entrepreneurs ask what can a virtual assistant do for me

  • escrow accounts are you paying too much

  • euro tax haven threat

  • facts of day trading

  • failure to pay employment taxes penalties

  • find the right service to prepare your taxes

  • five tips for first time entrepreneurs

  • five ways to improve your bottom line

  • getting a second extension to file 2004 taxes

  • getting help with your taxes

  • get off to a great start with the right credit card

  • get real about home businesses

  • global communications and offshore company formations

  • going offshore for asset protection

  • go multinational

  • hiring a virtual assistant can help your business grow

  • home based business owners save thousands on their taxes

  • home based business taxes where to find answers

  • home based business tax deductions

  • home based business tax tips

  • home based business your ultimate tax shelter

  • home business legalities and tax advantages

  • home business tax tips

  • how can the average person build wealth in real estate

  • how much do you really need to make as a wahm

  • how to avoid getting disastrously dot conned online

  • how to check the status of your tax refund online

  • how to choose the proper entity for your business

  • how to drive the irs crazy

  • how to get an extension to file your business tax returns

  • how to make good use of spreadsheets

  • how to make the most of an at home money making business opportunity

  • how to maximize your home business tax deductions for 2005

  • how to minimize your taxes on wealth

  • how to qualify a buyer

  • how to raise money for starting a business

  • how to realistically set your fees part 1

  • how to realistically set your fees part 2

  • how to realistically set your fees part 3

  • how to realistically set your fees part 4

  • how to refinance your home

  • how to save taxes with an s corporation

  • how to set up a pre tax insurance cafeteria plan benefit

  • how to start a house cleaning business in 7 simple steps

  • how to start a successful business

  • how to start investing for financial independence part 1

  • how to start investing for financial independence part 2

  • how to start your own business and be successful

  • how to touch the hands of greatness

  • how to turn business losses into cash flow

  • how to use outsourcing to beat your competition

  • hurricane katrina how to use your business loss to get a refund on 2004 taxes

  • identity theft is your business at risk

  • index

  • innocent spouses relief from taxes

  • insiders guide to snaring the best lease deal

  • international shipping freight for dummies

  • international support microsoft great plains var partner selection overview for v p it

  • internet marketing and your old age

  • interview with ron mead the secret goldmine of probate real estate

  • investors avoid these 5 common tax mistakes

  • is 100 annual return on investments possible with low risk land investments

  • is vacation rental ownership your business opportunity

  • is your business idea feasible

  • ive heard about facta what does it mean

  • i cant pay my taxes what do i do

  • i wanna hold your hand first time homebuyers

  • keeping your businesss finances on track

  • keeping your own money not handing it over to the taxman

  • keep more of what you make start a home based business

  • little known tax deductions that can save you big

  • local taxes

  • long term energy outook

  • look past the bottom line for a propertys investment potential

  • look past the bottom line for a propertys potential

  • love the thrill of risk invest in an annuity

  • military reservists enlistees may get deferral of back taxes

  • monaco might lose its status of personal income tax haven

  • my house is the best contest is over

  • my top ten tips for selling travel on ebay

  • negotiating real estate deals to win win

  • new trends create an alternative to hiring employees

  • nine advance networking skills for seasoned networkers

  • no income verification home equity loan

  • nursing shortage here is what some hospitals are doing

  • online home equity loans a basic glossary

  • outsourcing and your business

  • payroll taxes

  • personal training 3 keys to training clients in their homes

  • personnel records the paperwork nightmare

  • preparing for your tax interview the what to bring checklist

  • professional transcription and your business

  • protecting the tax advantage of your deferred compensation

  • real estate auction action buying a home at auction

  • real estate closing costs exposed

  • real estate investors dont close your eyes to closing costs

  • real estate investors remember the impound cash

  • real estate remains a strong investment

  • reducing debt before its too late how to avoid the pitfalls of creeping debt

  • relocating for retirement which realtor can help you

  • review small business taxes made easy

  • rotator

  • rrifs death taxes

  • save money on taxes double your income now with tax saving tips on deductions

  • selling your business a tool to reduce taxes

  • selling your technology company why earnouts make sense today

  • sell a business deal structure and taxes

  • seven key tax deductions for the self employed

  • seven ways to save on taxes next year

  • shocking experienced copywriter reveals little known secrets to closing big ticket deals

  • single and multi owner llc taxes

  • small business tax deductions for year end 2004

  • small business tax tips product review of tax reduction toolkit

  • small business valuation primer

  • so you want to be a freelancer heres how

  • starting a business what new and existing business owners should know

  • state taxes

  • student credit cards 101

  • student home purchase plan

  • success tip making your business look bigger to your customers

  • survey says telecommuting ranks high on job seekers list

  • take back your time

  • taxes as a competitive advantage in the global economy

  • taxes made easy for your home based business

  • taxes taxes taxes who really pays the most

  • tax advantages in a home business

  • tax trap 1 waiting to incorporate what a difference a date can make

  • ten steps to mlm success

  • ten ways to become a mulitmillionaire

  • the 8 biggest mistakes when designing portfolios and how to avoid them

  • the basics of business record keeping

  • the benefits of incorporating in florida

  • the benefits of incorporating your business

  • the business failed but did you

  • the cost of going public in the united states

  • the millionaires favorite author

  • the most overlooked way to legally decrease taxes in 2005

  • the secret science of online shopping

  • the seven cs partnership danger signs the 5th c control issues

  • the true cost of self employment

  • things your mother never told you closing costs

  • this year try using tax software to file your taxes

  • tips and simple guidelines on how to calculate payroll taxes

  • top 10 things to consider on home loans

  • truly bizarre taxes the tax on illegal drugs

  • uncle sam is ready are you organizing tips for tax time

  • understanding employee taxes

  • understanding financial statements when approaching lenders

  • use your cell phone trial period to test your plan here are some guidelines

  • venture leasing a smarter way to build enterprise value

  • virtual assistance a money saving opportunity for employers

  • virtual assistance for healthcare professionals

  • wealth creation and mortgage planning two great tastes that taste great together

  • whats it worth

  • what are the taxes on earnings

  • what does extending your taxes mean to you

  • what is a home based travel agent

  • what is the best entity

  • what is the key to slashing your taxes

  • what to expect in closing costs on a home purchase

  • who wants to be a millionaire

  • why a collection agency is your small businesss best friend

  • why does facta matter to me

  • why one should chose a network marketing home base

  • why pay taxes see how not to just kidding

  • why small businesses fail or fail to thrive

  • why to start business in ukraine

  • why work from home

  • working with your real estate attorney

  • work from home in 3 easy steps

  • year end tax planning and preparation for businesses tax tips for 2004