Acclaimed author Juliet E. McKenna has been in touch regarding changes to new EU VAT regulations, which are bound to affect many of our members who have their work published digitally.
If you’ve glanced at my blog or other social media over the last two months, you’ll have realised I’m currently involved in campaigning against the new EU VAT regulations, as part of the EU VAT Action Team. www.euvataction.org . That’s the website to head for, If you’re still not really clear what all this about.
We’ve managed to get some minor concessions from HM Revenue & Customs to keep some small businesses trading that might otherwise have closed on 31st December but these are temporary concessions at best.
What we must do now is gather solid information on the impact of this, and the impossibility of complying, to lobby the European Commission. There’s a key consultation scheduled for February.
The more information we have, the better the chances of getting this damaging legislation reviewed and reworked.
Could all those whose businesses are affected please complete the EU VAT Action survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10GWseoeGY46uW1bXsRVyKODCnwDq6o0Ubx6uimqs7TE/viewform
Now that the legislation has arrived, please could those directly affected email me directly at juliet.mckenna@gmail.com to let me know the following –
If you as an author have stopped direct ebook sales from your own website rather than tackle the complexities of compliance.
If you as a small press which is publishing your titles has similarly stopped direct ebook sales rather than tackle the complexities of compliance.
If you either as an independent author or a small press, have abandoned any business plans for 2015 such as launching ebooks to complement hard copy publishing or starting independent sales ebook sales from your own site as well as using Amazon. Google Play, iBooks etc.
What losing direct sales is likely to cost you in terms of income. (Round figures, anonymously if you wish).
If you are attempting to comply, in order to continue direct sales, what is the cost in terms of additional fees/software licenses and working hours taken to set this up?
What problems you are aware of, if you are now only using 3rd party resellers who say they will handle the VAT issue. For instance, using Nook now seems impossible given French and German retail price harmonisation requirements.
Anything else you’d like to raise in relation to this, really. If for instance, you hadn’t even heard about this before now.
Many thanks,
Juliet E McKenna.
