A massive thanks, and a not-too-great email... (Patreon)

Hey there everyone and thanks a million times over for the support. Patreon has continued to grow unlike anything I could've expected, and the growth on my recent videos in terms of views have overtaken ANY video I've ever uploaded before. Thank you. Without you guys, this wouldn't be anything at all. So thank you.

Unfortunately, I also come here today with slightly 'meh' news. I didn't know this was coming, my emails get flooded easily, but I had this email sent to me by Patreon a few days ago. It's got something to do with sales taxes on pledges that you make to the page - but honestly, I'm not even sure it applies to me, since I don't send out any physical rewards for the pledges, which is directly related to your location compared to my location. I'm not sure though, but instead of me trying to haphazardly explain it (or let you guys discover it yourselves before I was able to let you know), here's what was sent to me as a suggestion on how to let you all know what this means. 

I wanted to give you an update on some changes that we’ll be seeing which may affect some of your pledges. Due to new laws passing in several countries and US states, Patreon will be required to start charging sales tax on some pledges starting July 1st. 

Less than half of all patrons will be charged sales tax, and for most, the amount will be very small. For example, sales tax rates in the US range from 4% to 11%, so on a $5 pledge, that would be between 20 cents and 55 cents. 

Whether or not you will be charged sales tax depends on your location, and what is considered taxable there. Not every pledge is taxable, not all benefits are taxable in every location, and sometimes only a fraction of a pledge will be taxable. The money that Patreon collects as a result of these laws are paid directly to local governments.

If you’re in a location where sales tax will be required, you should expect to receive an email from Patreon with more information about this very soon, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of these changes way ahead of July 1st when they go into effect. 

If you have questions, you should be able to find answers here. If you still have questions, the best place to get an answer is from Patreon’s customer support team, here. 

So yeah, I'm really sorry to bring the mood down here. Obviously, wherever I can, I'll figure out any ways to reduce this on behalf of you guys - but again, this looks pretty complex, and I just wanted to give you a heads up. If you chose to unpledge, TOTALLY FINE. I understand! Don't feel any obligation. But I suppose there are some things you can't control, and this is one of them. If you stick with me, thanks SO SO much - but if not, absolutely no worries at all - your pledge has funded the production of my YouTube and Twitch channels like you'd never believe, and I thank anybody for even clicking on my page, much less support it. So thank you, everyone. Fingers crossed this doesn't become an issue for most of you!