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Ebay VAT Charges

  • 31-07-2006 7:08pm
    #1
    surveys
    Closed Accounts Posts: 152 ✭✭


    Ebay charged me VAT at 21% on their service charges so I queried this as I know it is incorrect. They came back at me with all the jargon about me being resident in Ireland etc.etc. So I kept at them and queried them again but they refused to give in so I sent their VAT invoice to the Revenue. Sure enough the Revenue got back to me and confirmed that Ebay cannot charge VAT on their service charges. Anybody here on Boards who has been charged VAT should make application for a refund. I know the VAT rules in Ireland and the EU so I knew they had no right to charge it. The only company that may charge VAT is a company properly registered in Ireland with a permanent Irish address, and who are properly registered for VAT and show an Irish VAT number, and issue Irish VAT invoices. No doubt Ebay will move fast to plug this mistake, but in the meantime if anybody has an invoice from Ebay on Swiss or American invoice paper, or any other country for that matter, then file your claim. For some 'power sellers' this could mean a sizeable refund. !


Comments

  • #2
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    Cool, well done OP. :)


  • #3
    davemc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 187 ✭✭davemc


    Hi Surveys....don't know mucha about Ebay charging VAT but I did find a link on their site. Thought it may be useful. They do have offices in Blanchardstown?

    http://pages.ebay.ie/help/account/vat-ov.html


  • #4
    surveys
    Closed Accounts Posts: 152 ✭✭surveys


    davemc wrote:
    Hi Surveys....don't know mucha about Ebay charging VAT but I did find a link on their site. Thought it may be useful. They do have offices in Blanchardstown?

    http://pages.ebay.ie/help/account/vat-ov.html

    Thanks davemc. I was aware of the Ebay VAT pages, but they are wrong. ! I don't know how they managed to get it wrong ? If they have offices in Blanchardstown then they better hurry up and issue Irish VAT invoices from there. :) For sure the Irish Revenue is not getting the Vat. ! I checked, and unless my VAT friend got it wrong (god forbid) its not being sent to the Revenue.


  • #5
    TheWaterboy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 379 ✭✭TheWaterboy


    how does one go about getting this VAT refund.

    Another can of worms could be opened though regarding ebay sellers contacting the Revenue for VAT refunds. If you are selling on ebay you should be declaring the profit to the Revenue..I assume nearly 100% of people dont.


  • #6
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    TheWaterboy wrote:
    how does one go about getting this VAT refund.

    Another can of worms could be opened though regarding ebay sellers contacting the Revenue for VAT refunds. If you are selling on ebay you should be declaring the profit to the Revenue..I assume nearly 100% of people dont.
    I presume one would be liable for capital gains rather than income tax on all earnings?


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  • #7
    surveys
    Closed Accounts Posts: 152 ✭✭surveys


    TheWaterboy wrote:
    how does one go about getting this VAT refund.

    Another can of worms could be opened though regarding ebay sellers contacting the Revenue for VAT refunds. If you are selling on ebay you should be declaring the profit to the Revenue..I assume nearly 100% of people dont.

    Its up to each individual to make a decision on applying for a refund. If they do lots of busines on Ebay they may want to leave 'as is'. This is really for those who object to being ripped off by paying VAT when they should not be charged.
    The application has to be made to Ebay themselves, not the Revenue.
    In most cases of selling on Ebay its not a matter of declaring the income for tax as the great majority are just people selling off personal things they no longer want. That % who are making a business from it should of course declare the income. ! However, if they do run a business they should know the VAT rules and should know they have been wrongly charged. ? Some would have actually applied this VAT to their VAT returns and received a credit from Revenue anyway, so they can't ask Ebay for it to be refunded.
    There are varying opinions as to why Ebay charged this VAT. Some maintain its a total Rip-Off. Others say its just a mistake. It could be either of course, but I maintain that Ebay running an international business worth Billions should have known better and should have got their accounting practises correct. !!


  • #8
    surveys
    Closed Accounts Posts: 152 ✭✭surveys


    Have today recieved a reply from M.McGuinness the EU member for the north east and she confirms having raised this question of Ebay Vat charges with 'Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union'. It could be a while before any answer is sent by them, but I will post it here as soon as I recieve it.
    It could well be 'gobbledegook' and might need a bit of translation into laymens language. I do not expect they will take any positive action, in which case I will continue to press it with the 'Revenue', and the Dept of Finance.


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