One of the most important things you need to do as a young entrepreneur is to run lean.
This means keeping your costs low and don’t make your business harder than it needs to be.
A lot of guys who haven’t even made a single dollar online worry about “taxes”. They’re afraid of “getting in trouble” and want to comply with the laws of all 195 or so countries in the world.
Look – the only tax laws you need to comply with are your country’s tax laws.
You don’t need to worry about sales taxes in other countries. You can add all that nonsense to your billing system when you absolutely need to.
Stop wasting your time and focus on the important thing – getting customers.
That is much more important than tax compliance in a country you don’t live in.
A few months ago I learned that according to the Australian government, I owe them a few thousand dollars in sales taxes.
Apparently I was supposed to collect taxes there but I didn’t.
Guess what? Australia can KISS. MY. ASS.
What are they going to do? Send a guy hopping on a Kangaroo all the way to India to come and try to take my money?
I’m not giving them a single cent.
You only need to comply with the laws of your country.
Even big companies only handle international taxation when they absolutely need to.
Credits to Daniel Vassallo for the screenshots and the article idea.
These large companies have only just started to figure out the international sales tax stuff while every little guy seems to be wasting time building a “compliant” checkout system.
Focus on getting sales.
Customers do NOT care about how compliant your checkout system is.
Only comply with the laws of your country.
Handle all the international tax things that don’t impact your business when you absolutely have to (for example, when it’s a requirement to be listed on some marketplace).
Focus on MAKING SALES and DELIGHTING CUSTOMERS.
If you take any LMM product, you’ll see delighted customers:
The Art of Twitter has hundreds of 5 star reviews.
The same is true for ALL LMM Products. You can check out the LMM Gumroad store and verify for yourself. Only verified buyers can leave a review and I often add public review screenshots as well.
The only way to succeed in business is by making sales and delighting your customers.
Building a compliant tax checkout system does not make sales or delight customers. It actually pisses them off because they have to pay the taxes.
They Australians lost a war to a bunch of dumb birds, do you think they’ll be able to collect taxes from someone who doesn’t live in Australia? Tell them to kiss your ass and be done with it.
Make sales, have happy customers, and live the good life on your own terms.
Hope this helps.
Until next time.
Your man,
Harsh Strongman
