4 ms·
> Well, that's a business. Not a big one but still one. Not necessarily. I don't know the specifics of her jurisdiction but the Australian Taxation Office for
by tmnvix 10y ago
> Well, that's a business. Not a big one but still one.
Not necessarily. I don't know the specifics of her jurisdiction but the Australian Taxation Office for instance makes a rather vague distinction between a hobby and a business. The distinction is unclear enough that they actually publish an online tool to help you determine if you are engaged in a hobby or business. Simply earning money is not enough to qualify as a business (according to the ATO).
- simonh 10y agoIt's the same in the UK. There's a distinct category for small volume, occasional transactions like this. Surely it must be the same in the US? All those people occasionally selling their junk on eBay aren't all registered businesses right? But then food might be different. This is till ridiculous though. All the cops had to do was give them a warning and I'm sure they would have just stopped. No need for a one year investigation, fines, etc. It's an obvious case of wasteful overkill.
- DanBC 10y agoIt's a little bit different because she's engaging in trade - she's creating something with the intent to sell it. If I buy a second hand car every other month to do up and sell I'm a trader. In the UK we tend to warn before prosecuting. The article says a warning was sent to the group, so they didn't seem to rush to prosecute.
- tmnvix 10y ago> she's creating something with the intent to sell it. This is something the ATO actually takes into account. However, just like turning a profit, this alone is not sufficient to qualify as a business.
- totalZero 10y agoTo play devil's advocate, you may also be a hobbyist who is trying to cover his expenses. I like the UK. Warnings are sometimes a luxury in the USA.