Another ebay issue re selling and the ATO.

[Tossa]

Very simple answer, delete it.  No government department can request any details from any person unless it is by hard copy.  Pure Nigerian scam work.  Check the email address, bet it's not something like ato.gov.au, more likely gmail or hotmail or some unheard of email address

[firko]

Tossa, the email is from eBay informing him that the ATO has approached them, not from the ATO itself. eBay rarely if ever sends hard copy snail mail. Everything they do is via email. The ATO however nearly always will contact you via snail mail letter.

[Mick22]

Its not a scam, I have spoken to Ebay and ATO this morning and it is happening as we speak. For anyone interested, any information provided to the ATO by a 3rd party must also be provided to you on request. I just spoke to ebay re this point and they advised that if you ring and make the request they will send out the info.

[Wotto29]

I got the very same email as 090 over the weekend and yes it also came via my ebay
and the same email to my email in box. It states that ebay will supply the ATO with
your personal information, no need for you to do anything at this time.

[VMX247]

I just spoke to ebay re this point and they advised that if you ring and make the request they will send out the info.

This lazy ass attitude erk's me    YOU ring,cant they get off there fat lazy ass and take the hard copies to the Post Office anymore.
Evil bay alright-all done by Email, so they can keep racking in the money.
We also keep getting emails from paypal,saying we need to bump up our credit as our limits getting higher-I just keep deleting-If we are a good customer and keep spending are they going to write us off ,I think not.
Money hunger gitts    ,,,,but then again its handy for vmx 
cheers 

[Mick22]

I have found out a bit more info, apparently they are looking for people that have a ebay account and an ABN to catch out businesses selling thru private accounts

[Rossvickicampbell]

I thought that if it was under $50K per year turnover (that number may have changed) it could be classed as a hoobby and not a business as was mentioned here also?  Therefore no tax problems?

[firko]

e also keep getting emails from paypal,saying we need to bump up our credit as our limits getting higher-I just keep deleting-If we are a good customer and keep spending are they going to write us off ,I think not.

I've been an eBay member since 1999 and with PayPal since its inception and have never been asked to pump up my credit. I'd strongly suggest that those requests are most definitely phishing expeditions and you're doing the right thing in deleting them. Every email I receive from eBay or PayPal is automatically scanned through the [email protected] and [email protected] services and 90% of them are scams. Never open an email from either eBay or Paypal without checking them first.

[rowdy]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
From ATO website

Cheers
 
  Online selling data matching   
       
 
How we collect data
We have obtained data from eBay Australia and Trading Post Australia to assess the level of taxation compliance of individuals and businesses that sell goods or services online.

The data identifies members of online selling sites who are involved in selling goods and services of a total value greater than $20,000 in any of the past three financial years - 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10.

How we use data
We use this data to improve compliance with tax obligations of particular groups of taxpayers. This allows us to:

identify individuals and businesses that don’t report or under report their sales
identify individuals and businesses that operate ‘off the books’ and avoid their obligations by not registering, lodging returns or making payments
better understand and address the compliance behaviour of taxpayers involved in online selling
increase community awareness of the ways we use data matching to address tax compliance
protect honest taxpayers, by deterring, detecting and dealing with those who have not complied.
We will contact individuals and businesses that we identify as at risk of running part of their business off the books or in other ways not reporting all their income. We will encourage them to make a voluntary disclosure of any under reported amounts.

Where appropriate the data will be used to support default assessments of a businesses’ tax liabilities.

How we match data
This data is electronically matched with our own data to identify individuals and businesses who are:

participating in the cash economy
non-compliant with registration requirements
not reporting or under reporting sales
not meeting their lodgment and payment obligations under tax law.

 For more information about your tax obligations as a small business operator, refer to Small business support (NAT 73320).
 

 
 
O site

[evo550]

The way you tell if it's an ebay email is they will address it with your ebay name then put your actual name in brackets beside it
ie; Brad090 (Brad von barrello) if thats how you spell your name
If it says anything else then it's a hoax. I have been through ebay with this before and they always say check the heading first.
Check your genuine ebay emails and you'll see what I mean.

[SAABCOMBI]

mine said, Hello albrid-3 ([email protected] ), is this a scam.

[BJJ]

Been a member since 2000,  never been asked the same.

Tossa, the email is from eBay informing him that the ATO has approached them, not from the ATO itself. eBay rarely if ever sends hard copy snail mail. Everything they do is via email. The ATO however nearly always will contact you via snail mail letter.

[evo550]

mine said, Hello albrid-3 ([email protected] ), is this a scam.

Yes, if it came from ebay it would say, Hello Your actual name here (Albrid=3)
Best thing to do is go back through your emails and find a message you know is from ebay and see what I mean.

[evo550]

I thought that if it was under $50K per year turnover (that number may have changed) it could be classed as a hoobby and not a business as was mentioned here also?  Therefore no tax problems?

$ 50k is only for G.S.T registration, you will still need to pay income tax on a "hobby" registered as a business.

[SAABCOMBI]

my name isn`t there on the email, l don`t have a registered business, l have sold bike for mates and family and its not an income.