Why do some buyers have to pay VAT?

[otterman29]

Happy Sunday, back again with maybe a noob question....

Why do some buyers have to pay VAT?

Just trying to pass on some things cheap, starting at .99p, £1.99 and three items sold recently.

.99p shorts sold for .99p +buyer protection fee at 0.76 and delivery at 2.94 = £4.69!

Second shorts sold for 2.40 +0.82 +2.45, but also +.49 VAT = £6.16.

Third shorts also sold for 2.40, but so far buyer hasn't paid - they're probably in shock that total is £6.16.

Maybe Vinted is the way to sell low valued items.

Facebook Market Place is tetchy about me selling things cheaply - can post something at say £10.00 / £20.00 with no issues, but if I try to sell the same item at £1.00 / £2.00 it denies my saying goods are counterfeit and threaten to block me completely - so I just don't bother with clothes any more on FB!

[*vyolla*]

Is your third buyer based outside of the UK or in one of the crown dependencies such as Guernsey?

[otterman29]

.99p buyer (no VAT) is from Swansea.

Second buyer paying with VAT is from Seascale / Gosforth.

Third buyer I can't tell yet where they are from.

[papso22]

How do you know they are paying VAT?  Could it just be the way ebay splits the BPF up into net and VAT at checkout?

[otterman29]

It looks like VAT, please screen shot. 20% of 2.40 is 0.48 so is very close / aligned to the statement. 

[john1297576]

Buyers may be in UK but are any registered outside the UK?

Buyer paying VAT is the address a forwarding agent, as buyer lives outside the UK.

There is a freight forwarding company in Seascale, 

Hope J C & Son

Trucking company

[papso22 · Accepted solution]

It's exactly 20% of the postage.