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B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes

#31

Post by nsomnac »

enlongs wrote: post #27
youisbee wrote: post #21

Service marks for "payboo" registered with the USPTO in April 2019. Word Mark: PAYBOO Goods and Services: IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: Provision of an on-line market place for buyers and sellers of goods and services; on-line retail store services featuring a variety of consumer goods of others Owner (APPLICANT): Payboo Inc. CORPORATION NEW YORK c/o Vcorp Agent Services, Inc. 25 Robert Pitt Drive, Suite 204 Monsey…

They are trying to shift the seller from being B&H to individual consumers who can more frequently be exempt from collecting sales tax.

Why would you think that? That would mean the first buyer would have to be from an tax-exempt state to begin with. Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, or Oregon.

Also that would potentially create problems with Warranties. Equipment purchased from an unauthorized reseller often comes without a valid warranty.

I'd be more inclined to think that they cooked up some solution so it becomes a Product as a Service - since you don't pay taxes on service in most places.

Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes

#32

Post by notjesse »

schnoid wrote: post #11
gmjosack wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regardless of my ability to accurately account for my online purchases, I prefer online sites take the correct amount of taxes to reduce my liability in regard to accurately accounting for my online purchases.

more power to you. Personally I prefer to pay during tax time rather than at time of purchase. Or better yet, if this is now a federal sales tax then make it a federal sales tax. Stop acting like we're all obligated to pay different amounts depending on state.

I like that in Australia, retailers and others have to show the final amount. It seems that because sales taxes can't be known definitely for a given consumer at time of advertisement, certain businesses abuse this to include other unmentioned fees. Like resort fees at hotels. I would much rather look at a business' offerings and know immediately what I will be paying out-of-pocket. Federal sales tax could make that far easier.

Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes

#33

Post by ziari »

SteveS109 wrote: post #18

I have been a customer of B&H for decades. I wish all ecommerce retailers were as honest, ethical and customer focused as B&H. I received the same email and look forward to learning the details tomorrow.

B&H's customer focus does not imply ethical behavior. They've been accused of racial/gender discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and harassment. [1] They recently settled with the U.S. Department of Labor for $3.2 million. [2]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%26H_Photo_Video#Controversie...

[2] https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ofccp/ofccp20170814

Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes

#35

Post by mosheee »

ziari wrote: post #33
SteveS109 wrote: post #18

I have been a customer of B&H for decades. I wish all ecommerce retailers were as honest, ethical and customer focused as B&H. I received the same email and look forward to learning the details tomorrow.

B&H's customer focus does not imply ethical behavior. They've been accused of racial/gender discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and harassment. [1] They recently settled with the U.S. Department of Labor for $3.2 million. [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%26H_Photo_Video#Controversie... [2] https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ofccp/ofccp20170814

if you have a bit of knowledge, you should know that every big organization has those types of settlements its impossible to avoid them

Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes

#37

Post by bandhphoto »

enlongs wrote: post #23
youisbee wrote: post #21

Service marks for "payboo" registered with the USPTO in April 2019. Word Mark: PAYBOO Goods and Services: IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: Provision of an on-line market place for buyers and sellers of goods and services; on-line retail store services featuring a variety of consumer goods of others Owner (APPLICANT): Payboo Inc. CORPORATION NEW YORK c/o Vcorp Agent Services, Inc. 25 Robert Pitt Drive, Suite 204 Monsey…

This makes sense. Sales tax is not owed on re-sales of purchases on which sales tax had already been paid. So clearly this is a plot to get consumers to re-sell their products to other consumers.

This isn't any sort of "plot" at all. No customer will be asked to sell or resell any product to any other customer. Each transaction is between one individual customer and B&H only. -- Henry Posner / B&H Photo-Video

Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes

#38

Post by bandhphoto »

enlongs wrote: post #27
youisbee wrote: post #21

Service marks for "payboo" registered with the USPTO in April 2019. Word Mark: PAYBOO Goods and Services: IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: Provision of an on-line market place for buyers and sellers of goods and services; on-line retail store services featuring a variety of consumer goods of others Owner (APPLICANT): Payboo Inc. CORPORATION NEW YORK c/o Vcorp Agent Services, Inc. 25 Robert Pitt Drive, Suite 204 Monsey…

They are trying to shift the seller from being B&H to individual consumers who can more frequently be exempt from collecting sales tax.

I understand the confusion but this is not the case at all. B&H is the seller and each individual customer is the buyer. -- Henry Posner / B&H Photo-Video

Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes

#39

Post by bandhphoto »

ziari wrote: post #33
SteveS109 wrote: post #18

I have been a customer of B&H for decades. I wish all ecommerce retailers were as honest, ethical and customer focused as B&H. I received the same email and look forward to learning the details tomorrow.

B&H's customer focus does not imply ethical behavior. They've been accused of racial/gender discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and harassment. [1] They recently settled with the U.S. Department of Labor for $3.2 million. [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%26H_Photo_Video#Controversie... [2] https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ofccp/ofccp20170814

Fortunately most of the negative comments you’ve read are either misrepresentations of the facts or outright untruths. We have been in business since 1973. A large portion of our growth and success is rooted in our understanding that the company-customer and company-employee relationships are the crux of that success. We would no more damage one than the other. We value and respect and cherish our employees.

Ironically, these were released relatively recently:

http://bit.ly/2jIf31M and http://bit.ly/2PMMzWT Henry Posner / B&H Photo-Video

Re: B&H Launching Payboo to Combat Online Taxes

#40

Post by coolidiot »

From B&H Website:

B&H will collect and remit the requisite state and local sales/use tax on all taxable purchases based on the retail price paid by the customer in jurisdictions where B&H is required to collect and remit sales/use tax. B&H collects and remits sales/use tax in New York for purchases received at our NYC SuperStore, or at the order shipping address for non-NYC SuperStore purchases made in or shipped to jurisdictions where B&H is required to collect and remit sales/use tax. When you pay for your entire B&H purchase with the B&H Payboo Card, B&H will issue a loyalty reward in the form of a credit directly on your purchase order, invoice and/or receipt (i.e. this is not a refund or reimbursement of the sales/use tax paid). The loyalty reward is issued based on the cardholder's purchases paid for with the B&H Payboo Card after collection and remittance of the legally-required sales/use tax in your respective purchase or ship-to jurisdiction in accordance with applicable state and local law.

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