My New Career

as any form of legal eagle is not looking promising.

Over the last few weeks I have been trying to get my head around the changes to VAT.  (Very Angry Tax). It is boring so I'll give you the quickie version.

• If you sell digital products to anyone in the EU (European Union) you must register, calculate, collect and pay VAT (Value added tax) in the country of your buyer. (yep PDF sewing patterns included).
• You will need to register for this, in each country separately.
• You will require two pieces of evidence proving where your customer is from and you will need to keep this information and the transaction information for ten years.

So if I have customers in the UK I must comply to the UK VAT thresholds and percentages, Sweden -different again, France, different again and so on and so forth.

I have followed about eleventy million threads and forums on this topic. I thought I had some answers but they have contradicted and counter-contradicted on a daily basis. 

I cannot see any possible way to make this work - and to be perfectly honest folks, I just want to make stuff. I don't want to be stressing over this crap and keeping peoples private information or spending my time learning about tax law.

As of January 1st I will no longer be able to offer PDF sales to people from the EU.  I will be limiting the locations available within my Big Cartel store to reflect this. 

I am really sorry guys. I only ever began PDF sales because so many people don't have stockists of paper patterns near them or even in their country.

If you want to grab anything from the shop before January 1st, just enter the code VATSUX into the checkout and you will receive 20% off your order no matter where you live.

I'll keep you posted.

Jod

x

How's it looking?

You OK ?

Under control?

Did you nab that last virgin goat testicle after driving to seventeen delicatessens? 

Are you festively cheerful or talking through clenched teeth?

I am eating toast  and thinking about squeezing some sewing room time into my afternoon. I hope the next few days are awesome for you - in whichever ways float your holiday boat!

big loves,

jod

x

truth and lies

 I finished work on Wednesday so this bright Friday morning sees me totally in control of the whole Christmas debacle. The baking is done, The house is decorated and the good-cheer and festive warmth are oozing from every pore. (lies)

In my defense I did go into town yesterday. After eleventy trips around the car park, with hooting cars, swearing pedestrians  and a giant festive Elmo playing bagpipes I gave up and came home.

At least Darla has the housework under control. 

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

I guess if the title is true I must be well loved because I sure as hell am finding blog time hard to come by. Mr Ric Rac (still wearing the busted ankle boot) is back at work and things are back to high-speed end of year normal here and at the day job.

I am working on a supersonically huge new project and am struggling and doubting myself and giving up and starting again and obsessing as I always do. I am completely sick of myself, but don't worry, it's often like this and I'll get over myself once I get my head around it.


Here is the little present that I sent out in my newsletter last week . The pattern is completely free and can be downloaded by clicking on the link HERE. It comes with the whole alphabet, so you could, if you had the time and inclination, make a set for your whole family.

Or you could just print out the pattern and gift it with some felt and make them do it themselves .... 

You know, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to blanket stitch and then he can keep busy while he waits for the fish or something along those lines.

There are a few packs of those coat hangers in my shop if you are keen.