eBay seller Jason Smith and Sen. Dean Heller during the eBay Fly-In

eBay DC Fly-In attendee Jason Smith was recently interviewed by the Las Vegas Review-Journal about his visit to the capital and how Internet sales tax legislation would hurt his online business. When Smith, who runs the eBay store Tikipugmusic, finds a vintage rock album at a garage sale or a designer blouse in a thrift store, he pays its price, plus sales tax, before he sells it online. It’s unfair to Smith to have to pay sales tax again when the item is purchased from his online shop. During his trip, Smith met with Nevada Senator Dean Heller to voice his concerns. While Nevada’s Gov. Brian Sandoval has directed Amazon to begin collecting Nevada sales tax on purchases, Sen. Heller is against imposing a federal Internet sales tax mandate.

Jason Smith joined eBay as a seller 13 years ago, but didn’t turn it into a full-time profession until 2008. Even in its first month of business, the store was a success. As it expanded, Jason realized he was making more money than he had in his previous job, but was happier and more passionate about his work. As a way to give back, Jason often appears on eBay radio and attends eBay sponsored events to hold panels discussing his other business, Thrifting With The Boys, which teach individuals how to successfully thrift and profit from it on eBay.