Does this mean we'd have to submit purchase and sales receipts to prove such loss or gain?...Most of the time, you are not making money on those sales. If you bought an item for $1,000 and flipped it for $5,000, then yes, technically you owe tax on that gain. Buying a pair of binoculars for $1,000 and selling for $500 will not cause a tax burden.
Does this mean we'd have to submit purchase and sales receipts to prove such loss or gain?
Unless you're Hunter Biden's nieceHeck some of these people are getting 5 figures a month showing off their hoohas. It's hard to claim friends and family transactions with those numbers.
You cannot deduct losses on items used for your personal life. The only tax consequence where you would need proof would be a gain from sale which is highly unlikely. Everyone is getting worked up about the 600$ thing, but it is really not that important. It was created and passed to crack down on backdoor channels of income distribution from businesses, not the 350$ you loss when you sold your last pair of Vortex.Does this mean we'd have to submit purchase and sales receipts to prove such loss or gain?
garage sales are not taxable events unless they produce a gain from sale. this would only be the case if the item had 0 value and you received anything above that. Unless you are in the "trade" of 2nd hand sales, losses from a garage sale or any others would be personal losses that would not be deductible for 99% of people.eBay, for example, has eliminated Paypal for sellers, at least. I tried to list an item and it required my bank account number. (I haven't followed through yet). It all comes back to the covid stimulus bill and the new requirements of reporting annual transactions of $600 or more on as little as one item. I believe the previous limits were $20,000 and/or 200 transactions.
It's not about "taxes". It's about the government wanting every bit of your money. They are inching (leaping) closer and closer towards that.
You're already taxed on your income. Then, you're taxed on the item you bought with that post-tax income. Then, you're taxed if you sell it. Grrr.
Truthfully, we're supposed to report all cash income - even garage sale income where you sold some rusty shovel and a macrame lamp, I guess.