The Magic Librarities

Only in Canada, eh?

Canadians who sell a lot of stuff on eBay best beware – the taxman is watching.

The Canada Revenue Agency has won a Federal Court order requiring eBay Canada Ltd. to turn over the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of all sellers on the popular website. The CRA wants to find out whether those individuals or companies are reporting the income they made from online sales in 2004 and 2005.

“The CRA is seeking to verify compliance with the obligations and duties under the Income Tax Act of certain Canadian taxpayers selling goods in an online marketplace,” said an affidavit filed in court by Aziz Fazal, a Toronto tax officer who heads an audit group within the CRA that is leading the probe.

“In particular, the CRA seeks to verify the reporting of income by certain Canadian taxpayers selling goods via the eBay marketplace.”


Ahhh, so good to be Canadian. Oh well, at least I have Dish Network on satellite Free To Air - Dish Network - illegal to sell in Canada.
Canada - land of the free! HA

silver.paladin wrote:The CRA wants to find out whether those individuals or companies are reporting the income they made from online sales in 2004 and 2005.

Glad I didn't start selling until 2006. Mind you, I don't even sell enough to be a bronze powerseller, so the $100 or so dollars I sell per month hopefully won't raise any flags.

If the CRA went after online gaming winnings from 2004 and 2005, then I'd be pissed (although not as much as some people I know).

I read something about the IRS wanting to do this in the US, and I would be glad if they did this in all honesty. I "make" about $600 a month on eBay, thing is almost EVERYTHING I am selling can be categorized as a capitol loss. I'd love to get to write off that loss as well, even more money for me come April.

Spectral_bears wrote:I read something about the IRS wanting to do this in the US, and I would be glad if they did this in all honesty. I "make" about $600 a month on Auction Site, thing is almost EVERYTHING I am selling can be categorized as a capitol loss. I'd love to get to write off that loss as well, even more money for me come April.

Why can't you write it off today?

l0qii wrote:

Spectral_bears wrote:I read something about the IRS wanting to do this in the US, and I would be glad if they did this in all honesty. I "make" about $600 a month on Auction Site, thing is almost EVERYTHING I am selling can be categorized as a capitol loss. I'd love to get to write off that loss as well, even more money for me come April.

Why can't you write it off today?

I can, but my itemized deduction is still not greater than the standard deduction. The thought of the IRS actually losing money off something like this makes me positively giddy though.

There are projects in France too that the Taxman stops tax fraud on all Internet websites (Ebay,etc...) It should happen in the next year.

IF im not mistaken....I heard somewhere that Ebay.CA's user Data is stored in computers outside of Canada.

If this is true CRA will have a hard time pressuring ebay to hand over sales/revenue information in regards to their members.

Can anyone confirm or deny this info?