Sales Tax Notes
Last updated Oct 15, 2026. This is a plain-English draft written by Swarmnest. It has not yet been reviewed by a lawyer and it is not legal advice. Questions: [email protected].
This page explains how taxes are handled when you buy from the Swarmnest marketplace. It is general information, not tax advice.
1. Prices and tax at checkout
- Prices are shown in US dollars and, unless a product page says otherwise, do not include sales tax, VAT or GST.
- Payments are processed by Stripe. Where we are required to collect tax, we expect to use Stripe Tax to calculate it from the location you give at checkout (such as your billing country and postal code). The tax amount, if any, is shown before you pay and on your receipt.
- Please give accurate location information. It is used to work out which tax rules apply.
2. United States
States treat digital products differently, and the rules are changing. Some states tax digital downloads and some do not. We collect sales tax only in states where we are registered or required to collect.
California: under current rules, electronically delivered digital products like ours are generally not subject to California sales tax. A new California law (SB 122, 2026) extends sales and use tax to certain "digital products" from January 1, 2027, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. We are reviewing whether and how it applies to products sold on Swarmnest, and California buyers may see tax added from that date.
If tax is not collected on a purchase but your state requires it, you may owe use tax directly to your state.
3. Outside the United States
Many countries, including the EU member states, the UK, Australia and others, charge VAT or GST on digital products sold to consumers, often with no minimum threshold for foreign sellers. Where we are required to, we will collect and remit these taxes. Business buyers may be able to give a VAT or GST registration number at checkout so that the reverse-charge rules apply instead, where Stripe supports it.
4. Third-party creators (future)
If we open the marketplace to outside creators, tax responsibilities between Swarmnest and creators will be set out in the Creator Agreement. In many US states, a marketplace that processes sales for other sellers must collect tax on those sales as a "marketplace facilitator" once it passes certain thresholds.
5. Receipts and questions
You will receive a receipt showing the price and any tax. If you need a different receipt, or think tax was charged wrongly, email [email protected] with your order details.
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