Tax ID information
I am an individual seller downsizing my home library. Do I need a Tax ID number?
Tax ID information
I am an individual seller downsizing my home library. Do I need a Tax ID number?
3 replies
Seller_Fnfv2UKRup5rK
If you are running a business identify it as a business. All income is reportable by 1099 (research the thresholds) and taxable. You can get an EIN or use your SNN. It depends on your structure. Single Member LLC's are treated as an individual by AMZ and use SSN's.
All this being said, search the forum for recent posts about books. AMZ is making it much harder for booksellers requiring permission from publishers and such to list. Other platforms like Ebay do not. I do not sell books on AMZ. I use Ebay to sell what books I deem worthwhile. There are other places as well.
Seller_nRFmxiQg4EGrw
In regards to the Tax ID, there is a good chance that you do not need a number; however, the requirements will vary by state and the amount that you sell, so you may want to check with your state.
But as a bookseller, I'll warn you that, unless you have some special interests, chances are that very few of your books will be worth bothering to sell. Have you checked a few dozen or so of them to see what you might get? And have you taken fees and other costs into consideration? You won't be able to compete with the Mega sellers, who get special postage rates and are fine with making 10 cents on a sell. And Goodwill is perfectly happy selling at a loss in many cases, just to keep their workers busy (I guess).
With the recent increase in postage costs, the break-even point now on a small book, counting packing materials, is around $7.50; note this is not taking into account your time or energy. So if you can't get at least $10 (including shipping charge), or more realistically, $12+, it's probably not worth bothering with. Also note that books can take a long time to sell; I have plenty on the shelves that have been there for 5+ years; the only reason there aren't many older is that I only started in 2016. So if part of your goal is to declutter, it's unlikely to work.
It can be rewarding; I'm not saying you shouldn't try, just go into the process with eyes open.
Cooper_Amazon
Good Afternoon @Seller_iewXe5tl8ftDn - It looks like some of our seasoned sellers were able to provide some guidance regarding your tax ID question.
If any of their replies helped you, feel free to mark it as “Most Helpful reply” using the 3 dots in the corner of their post. It's a best practice just in case another seller comes along and asks a similar question, it will be easy for them to find the answer.
Please let us know on this discussion if you require additional assistance or you can always contact Selling Partner Support with inquiries at anytime. Thank you for checking in with us on the Seller Forums and for choosing to sell on Amazon. Have a great rest of the week! ~ Cooper_Amazon
