Why are people upset of sales tax being applied to Steam lol?

[Cyber2B]

Canadian here, so anything you purchase online like Amazon, Steam, PSN, etc, etc now is taxed. Law is effective July 1st, 2021.
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/digital-economy.html

The states has had the same ordeal already. Nothing brand new fellow Canucks

Since 2014 when I first made my first online purchase and -- it was taxless, I figured the government is going to catch on sooner or later and looks like 2021 was that "one day".

That said, why are some people upset over this? The government was going to touch the online world sooner or later.

That said the tax isn't even the full PST-GST. So technically would still be cheaper then buying in-store.

[crunchyfrog]

So no evidence to support your claim I'm talking crap then?

Consider this - if it's so incorrect then why does most of the western world do this and have been doing it for years?

The problem here is your fundamental misunderstanding of things, Eagle of Fire.

You're also making the classic "arguemtn from personal incredulity" fallacy - ergo, I don't know how this works therefore it must be wrong.

[Satoru]

Цитата допису Eagle_of_Fire:

When I go buy a chocolate bar at the corner store do you think I have to give out my personal info, my credit card number and my phone number just to prove who I am? For a 2$ transaction?

Don't make me laugh. What you just said make minus 10 sense.

You don't have to because the business knows where it is located and thus can charge you the appropriate sales tax. You are in the physical location

Online steam doesn't know where you are located. And thus as a taxation requirement, it must know where you live in order to remit the appropriate sales tax.

unless you think steam magically should jsut charge you a random sales tax rate how do you expect steam to collect sales tax from you? Do you want them to charge you NYC taxes because well since you won't provide your address for taxation purposes that it will just charge you the highest possible sales tax imaginable?

You're using faux 'personal info' privacy nonsense to excuse TAX EVASION. The IRS will find your argument uncompelling

[Eagle_of_Fire]

Цитата допису Satoru:

unless you think steam magically should jsut charge you a random sales tax rate how do you expect steam to collect sales tax from you?

As I already said, it should be from the physical store which sell me the Steam Card.

Цитата допису Satoru:

You're using faux 'personal info' privacy nonsense to excuse TAX EVASION. The IRS will find your argument uncompelling

That's completely false. I don't mind paying taxes, I do mind about protecting my personal info. I would not mind at all paying 5$ more on a 20$ card just to get that card without the hassle in the Steam Store.

Edit: Also, this has absolutely nothing to do with actual taxes, more with Steam having my personal info on a purchase which don't require it.

[Brian9824]

Цитата допису Eagle_of_Fire:

Which is exactly what we are talking about with that physical Steam Card.

No it is not, your flat wrong. You aren't taxed when you buy a gift card, you are taxed when you use it.

Again its not rocket science. You can buy a gift card in a state with no sales tax, but when you use it, if you live in a state with sales tax you pay tax.

The ONLY way to know if you owe tax or not is to provide your address at the time of sale.


[quote=Eagle_of_Fire;2961670087549922813
Edit: Also, this has absolutely nothing to do with actual taxes, more with Steam having my personal info on a purchase which don't require it. [/quote]

Again it does require it, you refusing to accept it or your incapability of understanding it doesn't change that.

You are clueless when it comes to taxes. Every digital store requires your billing address at the time of purchase regardless of the payment method so they can determine the tax.

[Chompman]

Цитата допису Eagle_of_Fire:

Edit: Also, this has absolutely nothing to do with actual taxes, more with Steam having my personal info on a purchase which don't require it.

Again they do require it as steam could get in serious legal trouble if they do not charge the correct amount of tax on their sales.

[Satoru]

Цитата допису Eagle_of_Fire:

As I already said, it should be from the physical store which sell me the Steam Card.

Lets go over the several parts where this is wrong

1) your gift card is not taxed when purchased its taxed when you use the card
2) this line of logic works all the way up until your rich uncle in NYC decides to give everyone $200 steam gift cards and then everyone wonders why they're being charged 9% sales tax in New Hampshire. This would also be illegal to do.

That's completely false. I don't mind paying taxes, I do mind about protecting my personal info.

Then sorry because steam needs to know where you live in order to collect slaes tax, a legal requirement in many states. Your privacy doesn't trump state taxes

Edit: Also, this has absolutely nothing to do with actual taxes, more with Steam having my personal info on a purchase which don't require it.

Steam requires your address to remit proper sales tax. It NEEDS this information. You not wanting to give it is a you problem, not a steam problem. You're free to go scream at the supreme court about this but your 'privacy' does not exclude you from paying state use tax. And your inane definition of 'privacy' does not mean steam has no liability for not collecting sales tax from you.

https://store.steampowered.com/privacy_agreement/

3.2 Transaction and Payment Data
In order to make a transaction on Steam (e.g. to purchase Subscriptions for Content and Services or to fund your Steam Wallet), you may need to provide payment data to Valve to enable the transaction. If you pay by credit card, you need to provide typical credit card information (name, address, credit card number, expiration date and security code) to Valve, which Valve will process and transmit to the payment service provider of your choice to enable the transaction and perform anti-fraud checks. Likewise, Valve will receive data from your payment service provider for the same reasons.

[Satoru]

Цитата допису Kitchen Cadet:

i'm just glad that in the uk VAT(value added tex not sure what its called in the usa is it sales tax?) is included in the price of the goods so if you buy a game for £10 thats including roiughtly 10%(£2) tax

Japan has a worse system where by there is sales tax but a listed price only has to say "tax included" or "excluding tax" as a moniker. So its insanely confusing because depending on what you buy and what the retailer wants to do, prices may or may not included taxes

[Eagle_of_Fire]

Цитата допису Satoru:

Цитата допису Eagle_of_Fire:

As I already said, it should be from the physical store which sell me the Steam Card.

Lets go over the several parts where this is wrong

1) your gift card is not taxed when purchased its taxed when you use the card
2) this line of logic works all the way up until your rich uncle in NYC decides to give everyone $200 steam gift cards and then everyone wonders why they're being charged 9% sales tax in New Hampshire. This would also be illegal to do.

There is a plethora of solutions to this, all which I can't be arsed enough to say anything else but: it is not my problem. As a service provider (as is every single selling entity) it is their own responsibility to work on this so they don't get had in shady transactions. I completely understand the points you made but they already know where I live (Steam info when you register your account) and they know from where I'm doing the purchase (ISP provider). I'm pretty sure you are going to point out VPNs but again, why is it my problem? Just like if I see someone driving over a red light, I could notify the police but I am not the police nor can I substitute for them. In this current situation it is like taking for granted I'm going to abuse the system (spoiler: I'm not nor do I even ever consider doing so as I'm a law abiding citizen who believe that laws are actually required in a modern society) which is ludicrous. I am not interested in a system in which you are considered guilty before you even do anything.

Then sorry because steam needs to know where you live in order to collect slaes tax, a legal requirement in many states. Your privacy doesn't trump state taxes

I don't live in the US and I don't see why I'd be forced to bend to their own laws.

Edit: Also, this has absolutely nothing to do with actual taxes, more with Steam having my personal info on a purchase which don't require it.

Steam requires your address to remit proper sales tax. It NEEDS this information.

No, they don't. And to be perfectly clear, they don't need anything else they already know. If in the required form you have to fill to buy a game right now I would only need to enter information I've already given to Steam then I would not mind as much... But there is no way in hell I'm going to give out sensitive information like my phone number just for a stupid game transaction. Sorry, not going to happen.

Again, this whole situation would not happen if the taxes were charged on the card purchase on site. Add whatever conditions you want (like I absolutely need to activate it from the same city I bought it in or whatever or it won't work, add a small fee for the service, whatever) and I would not mind at all. But just quit asking for more and more sensitive information you don't need. The guy who sell me stuff at the corner store don't need those info because it is them who pay the tax back to the government. Do the same with Steam and have them stop trying to mine my info.

[vexviron]

Цитата допису TenzoG™ - JD:

Why are people upset of sales tax being applied to Steam lol?

lol?

The price tag says $1.00 not $1.07, maybe people are upset because they have to pay more money? How logical is that? Also, which doesn't make much sense, that money doesn't go to the developers; The outrage!

[Chompman]

Цитата допису vexviron:

Цитата допису TenzoG™ - JD:

Why are people upset of sales tax being applied to Steam lol?

lol?

The price tag says $1.00 not $1.07, maybe people are upset because they have to pay more money? How logical is that? Also, which doesn't make much sense, that money doesn't go to the developers; The outrage!

How is that different for countries with vat tax?

The devs don't get that money as it's paid to the counties government but in this case for the original post Canada tax link the taxes are shown when you are at the checkout area so steam knows how much your tax is as they are different for the different provinces.

[vexviron]

Цитата допису Chompman:

Цитата допису vexviron:

lol?

The price tag says $1.00 not $1.07, maybe people are upset because they have to pay more money? How logical is that? Also, which doesn't make much sense, that money doesn't go to the developers; The outrage!

How is that different for countries with vat tax?

The difference is that you pay more money for living in a country that requires vat tax. If you want to pay less, then live in a country that doesn't have vat tax. If you have a problem with vat tax, don't blame the people that sell the game, blame the people that run your government. A vat tax is a tax that is applied by a government not a game creator or distributor.

[Katina in the kitchen]

Цитата допису WhiteKnight:

It makes me wonder why does gov need to tax digital goods?. Anyways you are right. Sooner or later digital will have to pay taxes.

Well, theres a lot of online products right, and a lot of money is spent on them every year. If we remove the tax, they have to make up that tax elsewhere. So physical products will have a huuuuge tax on them. Or they may use another way to make up for it whiich would be hated.

[Brian9824]

Цитата допису Mythical Ostrich:

Цитата допису Satoru:

You might be shocked that Valve is uninterested in enabling your illegal tax evasion

Buying things second hand isn't illegal or wrong in any way.

There is no such thing as second hand steam games....

[wuddih]

Цитата допису Mythical Ostrich:

Цитата допису Satoru:

You might be shocked that Valve is uninterested in enabling your illegal tax evasion

Buying things second hand isn't illegal or wrong in any way.

but there is no "2nd hand" involving Steam.

f.e. Steam cd keys are not 2nd hand and the person selling them to you has to properly tax you, otherwise they will get in trouble and if they do, they will likely throw you under the bus instead.

[Mythical Ostrich]

Цитата допису brian9824:

There is no such thing as second hand steam games....

Цитата допису wuddih:

but there is no "2nd hand" involving Steam.

f.e. Steam cd keys are not 2nd hand and the person selling them to you has to properly tax you, otherwise they will get in trouble and if they do, they will likely throw you under the bus instead.

I am talking taxes in general, I try to spend as little as possible. as I said, I want to avoid giving my government more money than I already do (ie not illegal tax evasion)
People also sell or trade keys for games they may already own or just don't want from places like Humble Bundle. I think that would count as second hand (excluding sketchy key selling sites obviously)