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GunBroker and the IRS

caf48caf48 Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
edited October 2014 in General Discussion
I have been selling some of my collection here on GB to finance traveling during retirement, a fellow collector said he heard that there is a dollar amount from sales that once you pass it then the total sales for the year has to be reported to the IRS, I haven't heard this yet but I do know that if you get either 200 payments or $20K in payments with PayPal they send you a tax forum, notify the IRS and you have to claim it, anybody heard of this?

Thanks,
Chuck

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    mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    There is at least one CPA over in General Discussion, so I'll move this into GD.

    I will say that as far as I know, you (seller) and your taxes are none of Gun Brokers business and you won't receive any tax documents from GB.
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    wifetrainedwifetrained Member Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by caf48
    I have been selling some of my collection here on GB to finance traveling during retirement, a fellow collector said he heard that there is a dollar amount from sales that once you pass it then the total sales for the year has to be reported to the IRS, I haven't heard this yet but I do know that if you get either 200 payments or $20K in payments with PayPal they send you a tax forum, notify the IRS and you have to claim it, anybody heard of this?

    Thanks,
    Chuck



    To the best of my knowledge that's an Ebay/Paypal thing. If you have 200 transaction and it's $20K or greater within the calendar year then they report it to the IRS and send you a form.
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    bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443
    edited November -1
    If you sell a piece of personal property for a gain, you owe the irs.

    If you sell a piece of personal property for a loss, you may not claim the loss.

    If you are engaged in the business of selling items, you may deduct losses as inventory. But then you have business form considerations as well.
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    CaptFunCaptFun Member Posts: 16,678 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by wifetrained
    quote:Originally posted by caf48
    I have been selling some of my collection here on GB to finance traveling during retirement, a fellow collector said he heard that there is a dollar amount from sales that once you pass it then the total sales for the year has to be reported to the IRS, I haven't heard this yet but I do know that if you get either 200 payments or $20K in payments with PayPal they send you a tax forum, notify the IRS and you have to claim it, anybody heard of this?

    Thanks,
    Chuck



    To the best of my knowledge that's an Ebay/Paypal thing. If you have 200 transaction and it's $20K or greater within the calendar year then they report it to the IRS and send you a form.

    It is more specifically a payment processing thing.

    Click here for more info....
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    neacpaneacpa Member Posts: 2,702 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you are not taking plastic for payment of the firearms you are selling, then there will be no reporting of any kind to the IRS.

    However, simply because there is no reporting to the IRS, that does not relieve someone who makes a profit on selling something the requirement to report and pay tax on the profit on the sale.[:(]

    That being said, this does not apply to the sale of excellent condition to NIB tang safety Ruger 77's. All sales of these Rugers are automatically reported and IRS will come knocking unless you sell them to a CPA. If you have any of these to sell, contact me and we can work out a GB auction in a way that will circumvent any reporting.[:D]
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    grumpygygrumpygy Member Posts: 53,466
    edited November -1
    If you are using Paypal for firearms then you deserve to be taxed.
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    CaptFunCaptFun Member Posts: 16,678 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by grumpygy
    If you are using Paypal for firearms then you deserve to be taxed.

    It is not specific to Paypal. If you were using any card processor or other payment method for more than the $20k limit they will send you a 1099-K and a copy to the IRS
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    Locust ForkLocust Fork Member Posts: 31,685 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yep....my accountant informed me that the cc companies have reported that we did over $900,000.00 in cc sales last year. So, if you take credit cards you better have some sort of record showing where the money came from and where it went.
    LOCUST FORK CURRENT AUCTIONS: https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=618902&PageSize=48 Listings added every Thursday! We do consignments, contact us at mckaygunsales@gmail.com
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    armilitearmilite Member Posts: 35,483 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you sell 20 K on Ebay they do report it to the IRS.
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    caf48caf48 Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thank You everyone for your help.

    Chuck
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    spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,724 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    example...as a farmer anytime I sell grain or produce over $10K the buyer reports it to the irs ...and that mount is peanuts in ag sales
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    Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,317 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by CaptFun
    quote:Originally posted by grumpygy
    If you are using Paypal for firearms then you deserve to be taxed.

    It is not specific to Paypal. If you were using any card processor or other payment method for more than the $20k limit they will send you a 1099-K and a copy to the IRS
    but you only deserve it if you use pay pal.
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
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    Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,317 ******
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by caf48
    Thank You everyone for your help.

    Chuck
    I don't know how you managed this but it seems you have avoided the ritualistic linguistic beatings a lot of forum newbies get. Maybe it's because we feel sorry you're selling all your guns! Of course dealing with the IRS is possibly worse.
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
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    WarbirdsWarbirds Member Posts: 16,839 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by armilite
    If you sell 20 K on Ebay they do report it to the IRS.


    Interesting. How can ebay possibly know if you have a capital gain or loss?
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    competentonecompetentone Member Posts: 4,698 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Dave W.
    quote:Originally posted by armilite
    If you sell 20 K on Ebay they do report it to the IRS.


    Interesting. How can ebay possibly know if you have a capital gain or loss?


    They don't, just as the 1099s a brokerage company will send you for stock sales doesn't mean they know whether you had a gain or loss. This is where good record keeping of your purchases is really important.

    If you get audited and the IRS asks, "What about this money?" and you claim, "Oh, that was just the sale of my '________' (whatever it was you sold)," you are going to have to provide the documentation showing what you paid for the item. If you don't, the IRS is likely going to treat your cost-basis as "zero" and you'll have to pay (the "collectables" 28% rate) capital gains tax on the whole amount.

    If you can show you paid $200 for that Ruger 10/22 you purchased in 1996, and you sold it for $150 this year, you had a loss (usually the case with firearms and other things one purchases) of $50 and no taxes are owed.

    Of course, the real "killer" (true with paying capital gains taxes on anything, not just firearms), you are commonly paying taxes on inflation. You may have paid $200 for that Colt 1903 in 1973, and sell it now for $500, but even though you've really had a loss -- measured in inflation-adjusted dollars -- you will still be required to pay a 28% capital "gains" tax on that "$300 increase" in price. So the government collects $84 from you in taxes because they've printed (and spent) more money causing the value of money to drop. This is really an extreme form of "double taxation" but fat-chance trying to avoid it or getting the law changed.
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    MG1890MG1890 Member Posts: 4,649
    edited November -1
    Too bad you are losing all that money selling your guns. Fortunately, you are only required to pay taxes on PROFIT...[;)]
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    armilitearmilite Member Posts: 35,483 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Dave W.
    quote:Originally posted by armilite
    If you sell 20 K on Ebay they do report it to the IRS.


    Interesting. How can ebay possibly know if you have a capital gain or loss?



    Doesn't matter if you have capital gains or losses. It's up to you to prove either or. All they see is 20 K so the rest is up to you. Had a good friend at work do about 26K last year and he had to include it in his tax return last year.
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