Letter to the business editor

August 25, 2012 12:05 am

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Online sales lose some luster

Online shoppers and sellers in Pennsylvania will have to deal with sales tax as of next Saturday ("Pennsylvania's Online Shoppers Soon Will Have To Pay Sales Tax," Aug. 20). But the tax collection is the responsibility of the seller, who must collect sales tax and then must pay the state.

I have closed my online eBay store because of increasing costs this year. Profit margin is tight in this type of business.

Everyone wants a share of my income: eBay charges me normal listing and selling fees, the online bank PayPal charges me fees, and I have shipping and handling fees -- and state sales taxes. That's my story: a small business failure.

JOHN P. JOYCE
Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

First Published August 25, 2012 12:00 am