NEW PAYPAL AUDIOGON PAYMENT RULES

See this
Hope it helps explain the situation

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/what-just-happened-to-accepting-paypal-looks-like-they-are-tr...

Yes I experienced it, didn't know how to fix it trying for about an hour. Then just got lazy and just posted my stuff on USAudiomart.

Check your account settings at Paypal, via the gear-shaped icon on your Paypal home page which is just to the left of the "log out" button. You may find, as I did, that you now have a merchant ID. (I do NOT, btw, have a business account with either Paypal or Audiogon).

If a merchant ID is not indicated under your Paypal account settings, at the Audiogon homepage click "Dashboard" on the drop-down menu that appears under your screen name, when you point to your screen name at the upper right. Then click "Account" at the left, and find and click a link that will appear which says "Don’t Have A Merchant ID?" You’ll find what appear to me to be fairly simple and reasonable instructions as to how to proceed.

Also, just above that link is a box in which you can enter the merchant ID into your Audiogon account settings.  After doing that you would click "Update Account" near the bottom of that page.

Regards,
-- Al

Almarg...
Exactly. Again, I am not a merchant. I am not a dealer. Doing what you described, what Audiogon’s reply to my email described, is not a runaround. It is essentially a mechanism to make a private individual a business. 

I have over 100 buying/selling transactions on Audiogon with 100% positive feedback. 95% of either having been conducted using PayPal, the remainder being COD. 

I am not about to input any description anywhere that would define me as a dealer or a merchant. 
Audiogon also replied that they are working on another solution which is even worse. 
C’est la vie. 

Pretend that that the word "merchant" is not there. Replace it with "audiophile" or "music lover" if you like. Do what Al says, I just did and guess what? I found that PayPal already had assigned me one and I don't feel like a merchant at all! After all, it is just an ID number for added security, not a merchant badge.

Thanks. That seems easy. I will do that the next time. Appreciate your help.

I had a sale interrupted by the pesky "merchant ID" thing, and fixed it instantly by listing the merchant ID from Paypal I didn't know I had. No biggie.

As discussed in the previous thread, this is surely an innovation designed for reporting to the IRS.  And if you have "merchant" status,......…….well......

The IRS are already all over private sales thanks to PayPal reporting for last 3 years anyway.
At last count it was 34 states that have to report income earned ( IRS terminology not mine).
PayPal automatically send you and the IRS a notice of your revenue if over 200 transactions or $20000 USD.

In our hobby you could blow that in one deal!

Notice that PayPal do NOT differentiate between sales and friends and family gifts in their revenue notice.
This is something that I believe will be their undoing as rumours of a class action lawsuit for this reason are afoot.

However right now if you get a notice from PayPal you better declare it at tax time or the IRS will catch up with you.

My transactions are far below $20k and/or 200 total. 
I like this site, but I’m gone. 
Best of the holidays, folks!

Op
It will not matter what site you use as it is a PayPal thing they have cooked up with the irs.

Do not leave over such a simple matter as just adding the personal id that PayPal have already assigned to your account.
Two minutes and you are all done.