I have always operated my selling as a business. I file taxes on it and am able to deduct my expenses. I would be happy to go over it.
Business already pay a stupid amount of taxes and higher fee’s and rates just for being a business. Our water bill in particular is about double what the residents pay. Business can’t really claim children and such for deductions and things an accountant type could shed more examples on.
Any additional costs business are forced to pay would then be reflected in the selling price one way or another anyway.
All selling sources not providing the funding directly to the issuer (in the case of comics publisher) are basically Secondary Markets. That means you may be the buyer today but that doesn’t mean you aren’t the next in a line of sellers the item will go through the hands of tomorrow. Sales Tax is for pretty much all transactions intended to be the final destination. The same item could be taxed 4 or 5 times as it passes from 4 or 5 peoples hands. Even if it’s not charged by someone, you are generally supposed to voluntarily report and pay the amount as a USE TAX in many localities. If you are selling regularly then you may also be required to be getting licensed but check with your local codes to find out what the limits are.
By going ahead and getting legitimized and licensed you also get the option of becoming Sales Tax exempt which means you will be able to get the Sales Tax back when you file and in some cases not have to pay it up front if the business is set up to offer that. There are forms and paperwork involved usually ahead of time.
People forget they don’t own anything as much as pay for exclusive use rights so long as the taxes are continually paid. Some items like houses, cars and property are taxed every year. Others you’re supposed to be volunteering you have so they can be assessed and taxed. You can’t take it with you as some like to say and even if you try, someone will come along in a thousand years or more and claim it’s now there’s because they discovered it!!! Sometimes even when millions of people already live there.
What’s the next step? Probably borderline double taxation when States the product is leaving from feel they need their cut also. Maybe some combination rate where if the products leaving a district that charges 12% and going to a State that charges only 5% then the State it’s leaving from may feel they’re entitled to the 7% not getting charged to anyone. Maybe both start wanting the full amount and now you’re getting hit for 17%.
You can always start protesting now by refusing to drive on the roads they use the money to fix and pulling your kids out of schools the tax money funds and anything else you can directly attribute the money going to.
Much like a Tariff on Imports … 
Bottom line to any Thread that deals with a serious issue such as this :: Don’t seek advice on a Thread nor consider it the Gospel … do your own research, consult an expert if you need to …
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Exactly.
Here’s a CHU disclaimer: Pay your taxes and do not take our word if the tax man cometh for you if you tried to take advice from users here on the forums and the tax advice was wrong!
So if I buy a 2k comic (hypothetically), I have to pay eBay $200?? (Live in California) What a world.
Well, you are actually paying CA … you pay eBay, eBay pays them … Pint of Blood and all that …