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Steam Collecting Tax #1168345
11/06/18 02:13 PM
11/06/18 02:13 PM
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GreyFuss Offline OP
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I just purchased The Museum 1 from Steam and noticed that they charged me my States Sales Tax which I never noticed this on other purchases. Has anyone else experienced this? Maybe this has been going on for a while and I just didn't notice. Isn't Steam based in another Country besides the USA?


"Don't Hate Me Because I Am Beautiful...There Are Many Other Reasons!"
Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168346
11/06/18 02:14 PM
11/06/18 02:14 PM
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Chicago
oldbroad Offline
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Steam has been charging me tax for a few years now.

Since 2015.

Last edited by oldbroad; 11/06/18 02:29 PM.
Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168349
11/06/18 02:29 PM
11/06/18 02:29 PM
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GreyFuss Offline OP
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Really? I just checked all my previous purchases and this is the first time they added the Tax for me. Might this be something to do with where the Developer is located? For instance if the Developer is located either in my State or the USA? I can't find out where they are from to see if this may be the case.


"Don't Hate Me Because I Am Beautiful...There Are Many Other Reasons!"
Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168353
11/06/18 03:02 PM
11/06/18 03:02 PM
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Chicago
oldbroad Offline
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I've been charged tax on every purchase since some time in 2015. The receipt I looked at from then is from June. I didn't look at all of them but I know that once they started taxing me, there was never any purchase that was not taxed. I believe it has to do with the state you live in but I'm not sure. I don't mind paying sales tax for on-line purchases but I don't really think downloads, at least of downloads that I cannot save to a disc, should be taxable, but...

Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: oldbroad] #1168354
11/06/18 03:12 PM
11/06/18 03:12 PM
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near Yosemite
Marian Offline
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I know that with Big Fish games, depending on what state you are in you either get charged with sales tax or you don't.

And Steam/Valve is in the state of Washington.

Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168355
11/06/18 03:25 PM
11/06/18 03:25 PM
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Chicago
oldbroad Offline
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Big Fish does NOT charge me tax but I think they are supposed to.

Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168356
11/06/18 03:26 PM
11/06/18 03:26 PM
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Draclvr Offline
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Depends on your state for on-line retailers collecting taxes. Amazon has started collecting taxes in Missouri.


Gardens put to bed for the winter. Time for some gaming!
Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168358
11/06/18 03:37 PM
11/06/18 03:37 PM
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oldbroad Offline
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It does make sense since there is so much on-line shopping now, that's why I don't mind it. I had never set out to avoid paying tax when I started shopping on-line. It was just a happy coincidence for awhile, though technically a person was expected to pay it at the end of the year when they filed their taxes. The downloading stuff falls under "use tax" rather than "sales tax" I think.

And sometimes it depends on if there is a physical company presence in your state OR how much on-line sales a company has to a particular state. (Something like that anyway.) I know they are cracking down on Illinois on-line purchases now though.

Last edited by oldbroad; 11/06/18 03:39 PM.
Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168359
11/06/18 03:56 PM
11/06/18 03:56 PM
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GreyFuss Offline OP
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I was always under the impression that the rule used to be here in the States (although who knows what rules are now)that if an Online retailer had a physical presence in a State that they had to add the Tax i.e. Amazon building Fulfillment Centers in your State. Or there is a brick & mortar store or warehouse. If no physical presence then it would be up to the buyer to declare purchases on there yearly taxes. Since Steam has no physical presence anywhere and I think based in another country (could be wrong) that is why I am so surprised.

@Oldbroad
I agree, paying what one owes in taxes is always the right thing to do. But my opinion, the easiest way here in the States, would be for the seller to charge the buyer the Tax rate from the State that they are in which across the board would not place a burden on Retailers having to keep track of all the different States tax rates, who purchases from where and then sending different payments to each State. In my way of thinking, if I want to purchase items from a State that has a lesser tax then that would put the States in more competition with each other to bring their tax rates down for Online sales and/or encourage more Online Retailers to move to their States so they may add to their coffers. It just seems so simple to me. duh


"Don't Hate Me Because I Am Beautiful...There Are Many Other Reasons!"
Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: Marian] #1168360
11/06/18 04:07 PM
11/06/18 04:07 PM
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GreyFuss, Marian stated this above.

Originally Posted By: Marian


And Steam/Valve is in the state of Washington.

Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168363
11/06/18 04:38 PM
11/06/18 04:38 PM
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GreyFuss Offline OP
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oops, I completely missed Marians Post, sorry! blush
Thank you


"Don't Hate Me Because I Am Beautiful...There Are Many Other Reasons!"
Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168377
11/06/18 07:16 PM
11/06/18 07:16 PM
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United Kingdom
Mad Offline
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That tax system sounds really weird to me !! woozy

Here in the U.K. As far as I'm aware. Buyers pay tax at the point of purchase. It's called Value Added Tax.


Time : The Most Precious Commodity
Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168386
11/06/18 07:48 PM
11/06/18 07:48 PM
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Draclvr Offline
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I think one of the reasons it's so complicated here is that each state has different taxes. The VAT is the same everywhere if I'm not mistaken. It IS a burden on the on-line retailers to have to keep track of every state they do business in to collect taxes. But as more and more commerce shifts to on-line retailers, the states realized how many million of dollars they were missing out on. Many state coffers are suffering as a result, so the push was on to collect taxes. The rule WAS that taxes were only collected if the on-line retailer had a brick and mortar presence in a state. No longer, but it still differs from state to state.


Gardens put to bed for the winter. Time for some gaming!
Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168402
11/07/18 12:00 AM
11/07/18 12:00 AM
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Yes, this sounds really weird. Here in Sweden, we also pay tax at the point of purchase. It's called MOMS, by the way. Excellent system.

Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168406
11/07/18 12:32 AM
11/07/18 12:32 AM
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Chicago
oldbroad Offline
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So do Big Fish, Steam, GOG, Amazon, etc. charge you tax in the UK and Sweden?

Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: oldbroad] #1168433
11/07/18 08:56 AM
11/07/18 08:56 AM
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United Kingdom
Mad Offline
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With anything bought here in the UK (that's eligible for tax) the purchase price paid will already have included the tax - whether it's an on-line or "from a brick & mortar store" purchase.

And that applies to purchases from overseas also yes


Time : The Most Precious Commodity
Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: Mad] #1168716
11/10/18 10:59 PM
11/10/18 10:59 PM
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Sweden
Mikael Offline
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Originally Posted By: Mad
With anything bought here in the UK (that's eligible for tax) the purchase price paid will already have included the tax - whether it's an on-line or "from a brick & mortar store" purchase.

And that applies to purchases from overseas also yes


Same in Sweden, except for physical sales from overseas.

Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168718
11/10/18 11:04 PM
11/10/18 11:04 PM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 17,997
Chicago
oldbroad Offline
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Thanks Mad and Mikael.

Re: Steam Collecting Tax [Re: GreyFuss] #1168898
11/12/18 01:33 PM
11/12/18 01:33 PM
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Chicago
oldbroad Offline
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https://www.usgamer.net/articles/chicago...ticle9-headline

This article from Crain's Chicago Business is about Chicago "amusement tax" so, the tax issue may not even be your state, but instead, your city.

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