eBay Main Street

Main Street members know better than anyone how proposed Internet sales tax legislation would negatively impact the U.S. economy and small businesses using the Internet to reach new consumers and new markets. That’s why we asked people to tell us which aspect of the Internet sales tax debate they think is being most overlooked by the media. Here are the results.

Paul Jones, eBay’s Senior Director of Global Asset Protection, recently spoke to eBay Radio and Jim “Griff” Griffith about what eBay is doing to protect its customers.

As many of you know, 2012 has seen a lot of Congressional action on Internet sales taxes and there have been numerous attempts to impose new sales tax collection burdens on small online retailers.

December saw the adoption of an own initiative report by the European Parliament entitled “Completing the Digital Single Market”. This report builds on the work done in the EU over the last few years to promote the digital economy and dismantle barriers to a well-functioning internal market. Importantly, it passes on the baton from 2010 and in doing so it calls for renewed efforts in several areas identified as priorities by our Roadmap Towards Commerce 3.0.

Despite global uncertainty and a recent slowing in China exports, China continues to be a growth engine for eBay Inc., according to the company’s Greater China Exporters’ Index, released in Beijing on Nov. 22.

Last week, Australian Minister for Small Business Brendan O’Connor met with eBay Inc.’s Government Relations (GR) team to gain industry perspectives on local commerce opportunities available for small businesses.

Last week the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, and the Federal Member for Wills, Kelvin Thomson, visited the designed in brunswick pop-up shop in Brunswick, Victoria to see how the business is benefiting from the National Broadband Network.

Recently, senior officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury stopped by eBay Inc.’s PayPal campus to learn more about PayPal’s perspective on the payments industry and to become better acquainted with PayPal’s products and services.

eBay Germany opened a new eBay/Paypal Pop-up store on December 6. The store attracted well over 2,000 visitors in just four days.

Recently, eBay Inc.’s Government Relations team partnered with the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham Russia) to foster dialogue with Silicon Valley and Russian technology leaders.