Steam asking for billing info when buying games?

[Valden21]

So I was planning on buying a few games on Steam later this week, but then I saw all this stuff about Steam recently requiring us to provide billing information when buying games, even if we use the Steam Wallet. Can somebody in the know about this provide me with what the knowledge of what EXACTLY we're asked to provide? The research I've done on the issue doesn't provide me with a lot of answers, and I want to have that knowledge beforehand.

[Spawn of Totoro]

You are only asked to provide a billing address for tax reasons.

[Valden21]

Originally posted by Spawn of Totoro:

You are only asked to provide a billing address for tax reasons.

In this case, what does billing address mean? Also, tax as in INCOME TAX? I thought Steam only required that information if you sold a lot of stuff in the Steam Marketplace.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by Valden21:

In this case, what does billing address mean? Also, tax as in INCOME TAX? I thought Steam only required that information if you sold a lot of stuff in the Steam Marketplace.

Tax as in sales tax.

Billing address as in where you live.

[Valden21]

Originally posted by Spawn of Totoro:

Originally posted by Valden21:

In this case, what does billing address mean? Also, tax as in INCOME TAX? I thought Steam only required that information if you sold a lot of stuff in the Steam Marketplace.

Tax as in sales tax.

Billing address as in where you live.

Okay, I get that, but are we just talking about our address, or do we have to provide proof of residence? Some of the posts I've seen about this topic mentioned that, so I want to KNOW, instead of just relying on assumptions. That way, I can assuage my worries.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by Valden21:

Okay, I get that, but are we just talking about our address, or do we have to provide proof of residence? Some of the posts I've seen about this topic mentioned that, so I want to KNOW, instead of just relying on assumptions. That way, I can assuage my worries.

Proof of residence is only if one is trying to be exempt from income tax on the community market. They just want your address as if you were using a credit card, so they know how much to charge for taxes on the purchase and what state to send those taxes to.

[Valden21]

Originally posted by Spawn of Totoro:

Originally posted by Valden21:

Okay, I get that, but are we just talking about our address, or do we have to provide proof of residence? Some of the posts I've seen about this topic mentioned that, so I want to KNOW, instead of just relying on assumptions. That way, I can assuage my worries.

Proof of residence is only if one is trying to be exempt from income tax on the community market. They just want your address as if you were using a credit card, so they know how much to charge for taxes on the purchase and what state to send those taxes to.

Does that apply even if I pay with the Steam Wallet?

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by Valden21:

Does that apply even if I pay with the Steam Wallet?

Yes, it now applies with Steam Wallet as well. States demand their taxes and want to ensure they get their share.

[Valden21]

Okay, thanks for the information. I just wanted to know what's what, without all the hysteria that I'm seeing about this. My own home state has been applying sales tax to Steam purchases for about a year now, but the rest of it is news to me, and I wanted to know what was going on. Seriously, this information should be pinned.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by Valden21:

Okay, thanks for the information. I just wanted to know what's what, without all the hysteria that I'm seeing about this. My own home state has been applying sales tax to Steam purchases for about a year now, but the rest of it is news to me, and I wanted to know what was going on. Seriously, this information should be pinned.

Or officially announced in the new section, I agree.

While taxes were already being taken, I think the states wanted more precise information as people may have been trying to claim they lived in a state with no sales tax.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by Shad Manson:

Christ on a bike, Valve. Want me to send my DNA and fingerprints too while I'm at it?

No. It is to make sure you are paying for the correct tax. Ex, in my state, we still are not being forced to pay taxes for online purchases. You wouldn't believe the amount of people not updating their account info when moving to a new state.

[Gambit-3k]

When you buy a steam wallet card in a brick and mortar, do you have to pay sales tax (in other words do gift cards have sales tax). Then another tax when you use the gift card. This is probably true or not true for all gift cards (not just Steam) but I never thought about it before. Seems kind of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ to have to pay tax twice if it's true.

I would hope all gift cards in general are exempt from sales tax since the tax will come when it's used.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by Gambit-3:

When you buy a steam wallet card in a brick and mortar, do you have to pay sales tax (in other words do gift cards have sales tax). Then another tax when you use the gift card. This is probably true or not true for all gift cards (not just Steam) but I never thought about it before. Seems kind of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ to have to pay tax twice if it's true.

No. Gift cards are not (not supposed to be) taxed upon purchase.

[Gambit-3k]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Originally posted by Gambit-3:

When you buy a steam wallet card in a brick and mortar, do you have to pay sales tax (in other words do gift cards have sales tax). Then another tax when you use the gift card. This is probably true or not true for all gift cards (not just Steam) but I never thought about it before. Seems kind of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ to have to pay tax twice if it's true.

No. Gift cards are not (not supposed to be) taxed upon purchase.

:qr:

Cool, that's what I was hoping and figured, but I just wanted to make sure because I was having a bit of a moment lol. Thanks.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Gambit-3:

When you buy a steam wallet card in a brick and mortar, do you have to pay sales tax (in other words do gift cards have sales tax). Then another tax when you use the gift card. This is probably true or not true for all gift cards (not just Steam) but I never thought about it before. Seems kind of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ to have to pay tax twice if it's true.

I would hope all gift cards in general are exempt from sales tax since the tax will come when it's used.

Gift cards in the USA are not taxed. Because you are taxed when you use them

As noted previously, steam requires your address for US residents, due to increasing number of states requiring sales tax on internet purchases. As such they require your address to charge you the appropriate sales tax, so it can be remitted to the appopriate state tax authority.

Steam detects your country, but doesn't know your state, and as such it requires you to fill in that information.

[Gambit-3k]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Originally posted by Gambit-3:

When you buy a steam wallet card in a brick and mortar, do you have to pay sales tax (in other words do gift cards have sales tax). Then another tax when you use the gift card. This is probably true or not true for all gift cards (not just Steam) but I never thought about it before. Seems kind of ♥♥♥♥♥♥ to have to pay tax twice if it's true.

I would hope all gift cards in general are exempt from sales tax since the tax will come when it's used.

Gift cards in the USA are not taxed. Because you are taxed when you use them

As noted previously, steam requires your address for US residents, due to increasing number of states requiring sales tax on internet purchases. As such they require your address to charge you the appropriate sales tax, so it can be remitted to the appopriate state tax authority.

Yeah, I've had to pay taxes on Steam for years now in both previous states I lived. I do remember a time when I didn't though after I moved from Washington State. The reason many states don't pay taxes on Steam isn't specifically because online goods aren't taxed in many places, but because you aren't taxed on out of state purchases (like many online purchases) and Valve headquarters are in Washington State. Many states have since changed because online sales have become what they are, but sadly the big corporations pushed this hard because they operate in multiple States (think Amazon and all their warehouses) so smaller companies were able to sell to out of State customers with no tax, and Amazon and others wanted everyone to have to charge tax if they had to. Plus States want money, but the large corporations did lobby many States for those changes.