A Word About VAT MOSS

Oh how I'm tired of this VAT stuff.

Fortunately, I have a lawyer who practiced tax law while in law school (as in, argued in the U.S. Tax Court against the IRS, helped fix seriously huge tax messes made by accountants), and who still has a great relationship with his tax law professor. So I think I've got some good sources for interpretation and legal advice.

Bottom line for me: nothing is changing.

I know, start clutching your pearls.

But what if . . .

And how . . .

Let me 'splain.

I am a citizen of the United States of America. My country is not an EU country. My country has signed no consumption/sales tax treaty with any EU country. We have income tax treaties, but that's about it.

Now here in the states, different states have different sales tax laws. My neighboring state, Oregon, doesn't have sales tax at all. Kinda nice, doing shopping over there. But technically, legally, if I buy things in Oregon, I'm supposed to pay the appropriate sales tax to Idaho when I file my taxes each year. See how that works? Idaho doesn't try to force Oregon businesses to do all the work. The work is mine. Granted, plenty of people circumvent this, and that's an entirely different discussion. But Idaho does not get to tell Oregon what to do. Sorry folks.

So why on earth would I be letting the EU, a governing body that has nothing to do with my life, tell me what to do with my business? We did that whole "righteous treason" a couple of hundred years ago over tax issues, and we can do it again. Sorry, this girl is a bit "liberty" minded, and I'm not about to roll over, close down shop for my EU customers, just because someone thinks they can make me shake in my boots. But if we want to go down the road of "you follow my laws because I say so," then I hereby declare the US Constitution universally applicable, and now first and second amendment rights are to be recognized the world over. How do you like them apples? :)

But what if I travel to Paris or London someday, on my dream anniversary vacation, and they put me in jail for tax evasion?

Not happening. Ever. Sorry, but no. That's not swagger. That's just common sense. There is no way on earth they have any kind of database available of who is and who is not doing their dirty work.

But what if they use the IRS to go after the small businesses in the US who aren't doing what they say? (chuckle chuckle heckle heckle)

Back to that whole "no consumption/sales tax treaty." The IRS will do nothing. You can take that to the bank.

So, my Craftsy shop is staying open. To any and all buyers.

Oh, and to back up my thinking, we did read the law. We read the UK's website. We read the official law. From what I can tell, based on this flowchart from the UK, I don't qualify because I only sell through a third party platform, and not multiple methods.

I hereby declare my independence from EU taxation laws. Calling upon Thomas Jefferson for some writing help.

In honor of my independence, I am hosting a "Screw You, EU" pattern giveaway. Open to all entrants: US, Canada, UK, EU, Africa, Russia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil - you name it, you're in!

Just answer me this one question: where in Europe would you like vacation, jail time or not? For me, I've got to go to London. With a side trip to Wales to sit in Jennifer's snug and knit. Giveaway ends next Friday, January 9th. Winner receives all 8 of my published patterns. And my pattern sale extends through the giveaway (all patterns $5 for everyone!).

*no disrespect is meant to any nation or people. I'm just tired of all the pearl clutching and shops shutting down!