Just a heads up (Patreon)
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Patreon has informed me that starting in July, they're being forced to start charging sales tax for certain Pledges. It looks like it's only supposed to apply to pledges going towards certain pledges in certain areas, I.E. streaming content, digital downloads, and physical merch. And it's mostly dependent on patron location. Here's the sample letter they suggested I send out:
"I wanted to give you an update on some changes that we’ll be seeing which may affect some of your pledges. Due to new laws passing in several countries and US states, Patreon will be required to start charging sales tax on some pledges starting July 1st.
Less than half of all patrons will be charged sales tax, and for most, the amount will be very small. For example, sales tax rates in the US range from 4% to 11%, so on a $5 pledge, that would be between 20 cents and 55 cents.
Whether or not you will be charged sales tax depends on your location, and what is considered taxable there. Not every pledge is taxable, not all benefits are taxable in every location, and sometimes only a fraction of a pledge will be taxable. The money that Patreon collects as a result of these laws are paid directly to local governments.
I’m working closely with Patreon to ensure I’m able to save you as much money as possible when it comes to sales tax - which is not something that’s possible with other platforms.
If you’re in a location where sales tax will be required, you should expect to receive an email from Patreon with more information about this very soon, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of these changes way ahead of July 1st when they go into effect.
If you have questions, you should be able to find answers here. If you still have questions, the best place to get an answer is from Patreon’s customer support team, here. "
I don't think anyone pledging here is in much danger; the only thing I worry about is the $10 tier, which is supposed to include high-res images that could count on the 'digital downloads' portion. To be on the safe side, I'll be reworking the $10 tier, maybe replacing it with extra polls or something. Maybe I'll just go completely to a "donate whatever you want" model and not sweat rewards (though I admit, I *like* doing polls and talkbacks...)
I'll figure it out. In the meantime, I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who's been a patron with me. I appreciate all the support you've given, and won't think less of anyone who decides to withdraw their pledges.
Thank you, truly.
-D