Second Life is the longest-running online metaverse that attracts nearly a million active users users per month.
Η company so it announced that it will begin charging sales tax to US users on in-game purchases for the first time since its launch in 2003.
This could serve as a warning to other emerging metaverse efforts that want to sell virtual goods to US residents.
Announcing In a move this Monday, development firm Second Life Linden Labs relied on a 2018 Supreme Court ruling (Sout Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., et Al PDF). This decision determined that states could charge sales tax even on productthose sold by online companies that do not have a physical presence in the state.
As of March 31, Second Life users will be charged tax on recurring charges, such as subscriptions and "land" fees.
The Linden Labs experience could serve as a warning, as there are many large companies preparing to launch their own metaverse offers. Also included are companies that use so-called "web3" technologies, such as cryptocurrencies and NFT.
