eBay is charging me sales tax on coins in PA why?!?

[famousnate717]

Purchasing legal tender is not taxable in Pennsylvania. I’ve checked with sellers and they all say they have no control over it? But can’t you select your tax tables? So it could be the seller right? If not eBay is illegally collecting sales tax on legal tender US coins when I buy them. This wasn’t the case a few years ago so I’m confused why it’s happening now?

Example: just paid for a U.S. commemorative dollar coin 1987. Auction won at $22 but I was forced to pay $23.32 a $1.32 extra.

this is a ongoing issue with my purchases.

items were listed correctly and I checked all other aspects that could cause illegal tax to be collected. 

eBay PLEASE HELP

[redmodelt]

The sellers location has nothing to do with your states sales tax (unless maybe you are both in the same state), the tax is based on your state not theirs. Not knowing what state you live in, would make it hard for anyone to comment on your states rules if they are known to the other buyers and sellers that post here or being able to see how the coin set was listed.  

[tobaccocardyahoo]

I have suspected for some time, that the rules for Marketplace Fulfillment Tax may differ from the rules for sales tax, and when you buy from a seller online you are not paying the sales tax, you are paying Marketplace Fulfillment Tax and the distinction is not always clear.

Way too complex a subject to hold my interest, since my online purchases are small, I am in a no sales or marketplace fulfillment tax state, and tax on what I sell is the buyer, the state and Ebay's problem - not mine.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

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@sandskipper7 wrote:

That is true about the category it's in but

 I just won a 86 Liberty set from a seller in PA which does not charge tax and it was in the correct category and I also don't live in a state that doesn't charge tax on negotiable currency. If I'm not mistaken it's fraud or a mistake that needs to be addressed and buyers need to be refunded. M

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@sandskipper7 

86 Liberty Set? You mean commemorative set?

Listed in correct category? Commemorative Coins Category?

If it was taxed and shouldn't be taxed per your state's sales tax laws, I'll bet you good money there is no "Denomination" listed in the listings Item Details/Specs section.

I don't pay tax on coins in IL, and as for the Commems category, none of the US mint commems should be taxable but I've found it depends on the seller inputting a denomination in that respective field in the listing.

ETA: Since my last post in this thread on the topic of sales tax on coins. I've pretty well cracked the code. Commemorative Category requires denomination, specifically, to be filled in. Bullion>Bars/Rounds requires composition to be an approved bullion metal (per state laws) and an approved fineness for bullion (per state law). .999 Fine silver works, 0.5 fine aluminum doesn't.

Ive found many "bullion" items taxed b/c werent marked .999 fine silver in the listing details

[mobilemntc]

My answer is to stop buying coins on eBay there are other avenues like Facebook. I will no longer be buying any coins on eBay thank you very much.

[kh-vince]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.