BrickLink to charge sales tax and VAT

BrickLink is introducing changes so that the platform collects relevant local taxes, including US sales tax and VAT on BrickLink fees.

The LEGO Group’s official third party reselling website, BrickLink, is about to start collecting local taxes. By the end of September, the site will start collecting sales tax on products sold from the USA, beginning with Connecticut and California. From August 5, all EU sellers will be charged VAT on their BrickLink fees.

New terms and conditions reflect the changes that come into effect on August 4.

Sellers will no longer be obligated to collect their own sales tax, as it will be handled by BrickLink. A third party vendor will work with BrickLink to collect the right amount of tax in each region.

According to the BrickLink FAQ on the subject, the change has come about to comply with legal obligations: “This is foremost a compliance issue. Due to recent Marketplace Facilitator legislation, many states have started requiring that marketplace facilitators such as BrickLink collect sales tax directly from buyers.”

As for the VAT, BrickLink has opted not to absorb the tax into the fees but instead to charge it on top: “VAT is a multi-stage transaction tax and is ultimately borne by the end consumer. By charging VAT to our sellers, not only are we complying with the applicable tax legislation, but we are putting ourselves on a level playing field with our competitors.”

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