Sales tax and seller responsibility
Card payments on The Animal Traders use Stripe Connect direct charges. Under this model, you are the merchant of record for every sale you make — not The Animal Traders. That means you are responsible for your own sales tax: determining whether tax applies, collecting it when required, and remitting it to the right tax authorities. This page explains what direct charges mean for tax responsibility, what you need to handle as a seller, and what The Animal Traders does and does not do.Stripe Connect direct charges: what it means
With Stripe Connect direct charges, the transaction runs directly between the buyer and your connected Stripe account. The seller is the merchant of record, not the platform. In practice:- Each card payment is created on your Stripe account, not on a platform-owned account.
- Buyer funds settle directly to you. The Animal Traders never holds or controls your money.
- You are the party the buyer pays and the party responsible for the sale — including tax obligations that apply to it.
Why you — not the platform — handle sales tax
Because you are the merchant of record:- Each seller is responsible for their own sales tax collection and remittance. If your state or locality requires sales tax on what you sell, you must account for it, collect it from buyers when required, and file and pay it to the appropriate authorities.
- The Animal Traders is not the merchant of record and is not acting as a marketplace facilitator in the traditional tax sense. We do not stand in the sale as the seller of record for tax purposes.
- The Animal Traders is a technology conduit, not a payment processor in the sense of receiving and disbursing buyer funds. We connect buyers and sellers, record sales in the app, and facilitate checkout — but the payment relationship is between you, the buyer, and Stripe.
Marketplace facilitator laws in some U.S. states require certain online marketplaces to collect and remit sales tax on behalf of sellers. Because The Animal Traders uses direct charges and you are the merchant of record, that facilitator role does not apply to your card sales on this platform in the way it would on a platform that processes payments as the seller of record.
What you are responsible for
As a seller accepting card payments, you are responsible for:- Determining taxability — whether sales tax (or similar taxes) applies to your animals, goods, or services in the jurisdictions where you sell and deliver.
- Registration — registering for sales tax permits or accounts where your sales create a filing obligation.
- Collection — collecting tax from buyers at checkout when you are required to do so. The Animal Traders does not automatically add sales tax to checkout totals today.
- Remittance and filing — reporting and paying collected tax to the correct state or local agencies on the schedule they require.
- Recordkeeping — keeping records of taxable and non-taxable sales, exemptions, and amounts collected.
What The Animal Traders does not do
To be clear about the platform’s role:- We do not collect sales tax from buyers on your behalf at checkout.
- We do not remit sales tax to tax authorities for your sales.
- We do not act as the merchant of record for card transactions.
- We do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice.
Optional help from Stripe Tax
During or after Stripe onboarding, you may be offered Stripe Tax — an optional Stripe product that can help monitor thresholds, calculate tax, and support reporting. Stripe Tax is separate from The Animal Traders and is configured in your Stripe account. If you enable it, choose Physical goods as your primary product type when you sell live animals or tangible supplies. See Stripe Tax setup during onboarding in the card payouts guide.Cash and in-person sales
Direct charges and Stripe apply to card checkout. If you arrange a cash or other off-platform payment with a buyer, you are still generally responsible for any sales tax that applies to that sale under your local rules. The Animal Traders records cash confirmations for trust and reputation but does not handle tax on those transactions. See Cash purchase confirmation.Frequently asked questions
Does The Animal Traders add sales tax at checkout?
Does The Animal Traders add sales tax at checkout?
No. Checkout totals reflect item prices, optional services, coupons, and card processing-related pricing — not automatically calculated sales tax. You are responsible for understanding and handling tax obligations for your sales.
Who is the merchant of record?
Who is the merchant of record?
You are, for every card sale made through your connected Stripe account. The buyer pays you (via Stripe), and you are the seller of record for that transaction.
Is The Animal Traders a marketplace facilitator for tax purposes?
Is The Animal Traders a marketplace facilitator for tax purposes?
With Stripe Connect direct charges, The Animal Traders is not the merchant of record and does not operate as a traditional marketplace facilitator that collects and remits tax on sellers’ sales. You handle your own sales tax obligations.
Do I need to talk to a tax professional?
Do I need to talk to a tax professional?
Tax rules depend on where you sell, what you sell, and how much you sell. If you are unsure about registration, collection, or filing, consult a qualified tax advisor or your state revenue department.
Where can I learn more about Stripe direct charges?
Where can I learn more about Stripe direct charges?
Stripe documents direct charges in their Connect guides. Start with Card payouts and the Stripe Direct model on this site, or see Stripe’s direct charges documentation.