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Frequently asked questions
 
This is a list of frequently asked questions for using SwapThing. Click on a question to view the answer. Your satisfaction with the SwapThing experience is important to us. If you do not find the answer to your question, or if you need technical support assistance, please contact us at Support
 
 
• SwapThing Basics
• Getting Started
• Partner Program
• ShareThing Nonprofit Program
• Other Issues
• Tax Issues
 
• Business
• Personal
• Services
• SwapThing Affiliate Program
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SwapThing Basics
• What is SwapThing?
• I am not in the US. Can I still use SwapThing?
• What is the difference between Offering and Seeking?
• Are there any types of items that cannot be listed?
• What is a Swap Negotiation?
• What is the Item Detail page?
• What is Swap Tracker?
• How much does it cost?
• What is the Swap Confirmation?
• What is ShareThing?
• What is SwapForum?
• What are SwapCircles?
• What is My Profile?
• What are Tags?
   
  Back to FAQ
    
 
Getting Started
• How do I list items?
• How do I upload a photo of my item?
• Why is my photo not appearing?
• Why doesn’t my email show up on my item?
• How do I manage swaps using Swap Summary?
• How do I propose a Swap?
• How do I make an offer using SwapThing's Swap Offer Wizard?
• How do I Accept an offer?
• How do I Modify an offer?
• How do I Reject an offer?
• How do I ask the other party questions?
• How do I pay?
• How do I give feedback ratings?
• How do I read the Swap Status information?
• How do I get help and more information?
   
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Partner Program
• What is the SwapThing Partner Program?
• How do I become a member of the SwapThing Partner Program?
• Are there requirements for being a partner?
• What is the cost of becoming a SwapThing Partner?
• What are the benefits of being a partner?
• Can I sell my items as well as swap them?
• How do I upload my items?
   
  Back to FAQ
    
 
ShareThing Nonprofit Program
• What is the ShareThing Nonprofit Program?
• How do I become a member of ShareThing?
• What is a verified member of ShareThing?
• What is the cost of becoming a ShareThing member?
• What are the benefits of ShareThing?
• How to I donate to a ShareThing member?
   
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Other Issues
• What do I do if my item is about to expire?
• What do I do if the item from the other party never shows up?
• What do I do if the item is not what the other party says it is?
• How does SwapThing help assure that the items I get in trade are as they were presented?
• How does SwapThing help me determine if the person I am swapping with will deal with me honestly?
• I have something to trade, but it is too big to ship. Can people in my general area find me?
• I have some things that I don't want, and don't want anything in return. Can I donate items through SwapThing?
   
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Tax Issues
Business Barter Tax and Accounting FAQ
  The following is presented for informational purposes only and is based on rules in the United States. Consult a qualified tax accountant to ensure proper treatment of taxable events regardless of your location. US laws and regulations change frequently and may not apply at all to your business location.
• Are Barter transactions taxable?
• What value does my business report as income when the company barters?
• What about barter purchases?
• When does my business record bartering income and deductions?
• What if my business uses barter as compensation?
   
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Individual and Self-employed Barter Tax FAQ
  The following is presented for informational purposes only and is based on rules in the United States. Consult a qualified tax accountant to ensure proper treatment of taxable events regardless of your location. US laws and regulations change frequently and may not apply at all to your location.
• Are Barter transactions taxable?
• What value do I report as income when bartering?
• Where and when do I report bartering income and deductions?
• What about my expenses?
• Examples
   
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SwapThing Services
• How does it work?
• What do I swap for?
• Why are services a subscription instead of a per-item charge?
• How much does it cost?
• What is the difference between Local and National?
• How do you manage reputations?
• What is the difference between SwapServices and a Skill?
• See Sample SwapServices Listing
   
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SwapThing Affiliate Program
• What is the SwapAffiliate program?
• Who is a SwapAffiliate partner?
• How do I sign-up to be a Swap Affiliate partner?
• How long does it take to install the widget?
• My widget?s tag cloud is empty, why?
• What is a SwapCircle?
• How many SwapCircles can I own?
• Can anyone join my SwapCircle?
• Can I customize my SwapCircle?
• How does it work?
• How much commission will I earn?
   
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 Answers to frequently asked questions
 SwapThing Basics
 
What is SwapThing?
SwapThing is a new and exciting way to get the things you want and get rid of the things you don’t want. Browse the items and services offered by other Swappers just like you. You simply list the items/services you are offering, as well as the items/services you are seeking. SwapThing maintains satisfaction information on all transactions to help maintain a safe and secure swapping environment where you can develop trusting relationships with other swappers.
    
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I am not in the US. Can I still use SwapThing?
SwapThing is based in the United States and facilitates swaps in 31 countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and all current members of the European Union.
    
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What is the difference between Offering and Seeking?
Items/Services that you are Offering are those that you own and are willing to part with in a swap transaction. The Items/Services you are Seeking are those that you would like to receive in exchange for the items you are Offering.
    
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Are there any types of items that cannot be listed?
Yes. Certain dangerous, illegal, offensive, and perishable items are not allowed on SwapThing. For a complete list, please review our list of restricted items. To report an item that should not be listed, please use the "Flag this item" feature at the bottom of each Item View page. You may also send an email to help@swapthing.com and include the Item ID.
    
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What is a Swap Negotiation?
The communication between users during which a proposed swap is either accepted, modified or rejected. Once you have proposed a swap, the Swap Negotiation process begins when an email is sent to the owner of the item/service notifying them of your proposal. After the proposal has been reviewed, you will be notified of the owner's intent to accept, modify or reject. The Swap Negotiation process continues until an offer has been rejected or accepted and payment has been confirmed.
    
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What is the Add a Thing page?
The Add a Thing page appears when you select a category from the drop-down lists to add a new item from the My SwapThing page, or from the “Add Item” link on the left side off all SwapThing pages. This is where you enter the information about the items and submit them to inventory
    
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How much does it cost?
Nothing! Registering an account with SwapThing is free and easy, and you may list as many items as you like, without any charges. Also, there are no transaction fees, so the only cost you may have is in the shipping of your items after a successful swap.
    
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What is the Swap Confirmation?
The Swap Confirmation is the final record of the swap transaction. It contains all the details of the swap agreement, including the items, any additional cash offering, delivery information, and message history.
    
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What is the SwapForum?
SwapForum is a place where you can discuss issues that interest you. Click the link in the main navigation on the left of your screen to check it out now.
    
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What are SwapCircles?
SwapCircles are groups, usually organized by interest or geography, where you can swap among people who you know. Organize a group and start swapping within your circle. Consider a SwapCircle for your swap club, school, collector's club, or any other group with a common interest in swapping. Learn more about SwapCircles by clicking the link in the main navigation bar on the left of this screen.
    
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What is My Profile?
My Profile is an area where you can personalize your account and let other swappers know about your interests and personality. You can even upload a picture or avatar that will appear next to your items so that other swappers can see who you are.
    
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What are Tags?
Tags are descriptive words that relate to an item. They will make your item easier to find in SwapThing searches, as well as general web searches.
    
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   Getting Started
 
How do I list items?
On the My SwapThing page there are two drop-down lists of categories for Items/Services you are offering and seeking. Simply select the category you want and complete the information on the Add a Thing page, then click the SUBMIT button. You may also access the Add a Thing page by clicking the “Add Item” link on the left side off all SwapThing pages.
    
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How do I upload a photo of my item?
At the time you add an item: Enter the information about your item on the Add a Thing. On that page you have the option of browsing your local files for an image to upload. Select the image you wish to use from your computer.
    
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What if my photo doesn’t appear?
Your photo probably does not meet the image restrictions. All uploads must be a GIF or JPEG file, and they cannot exceed 320 pixels by 240 pixels, 100dpi, or 512k. Open the image on your local computer and modify it to meet our specifications. Then try the upload again.
    
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Why doesn’t my email show up next to my item; how can people do a swap with me without my email address?
SwapThing never reveals your email address to protect your privacy and to protect you from receiving unwanted emails from spammers. You can communicate with other swappers by asking a question about their item or by proposing a swap. Both methods open up a communications channel on SwapThing so that you can discuss a deal without revealing your email address.
    
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How do I manage swaps using Swap Summary?
The Swap Summary is your view of the swap record. Open a Swap Summary by clicking the Swap ID for any transaction listed in your Swap Tracker. Use the Swap Summary page to accept, modify, or reject an offer. The actions that are available from the Swap Summary depend on the status of the swap (new offer, pending action, modified, accepted, complete).

* To accept the offer, click ACCEPT, and complete the PayPal steps.
* To reject the offer, click REJECT.
* To modify the offer, click MODIFY.
* To send a message to the other swapper, type your message in the New Message text box, and click SEND.
* To close the Swap Summary without taking any action, click BACK.
    
  Back to FAQ
   
 
How do I propose a Swap?
Search or Browse the SwapThing database to find an item. When you discover an item you want, click on the item link to view the item. From the Item View page, click PROPOSE OFFER. Follow the instructions in the Swap Offer Wizard to submit your offer. Remember, multiple items can be included in a single swap transaction, as well as cash to even out a side of the deal.
After you submit an offer, the other swapper receives and email notification of your proposal.
    
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How do I make an offer using SwapThing's Swap Offer Wizard?
The Swap Offer Wizard is a simple four-step process for proposing a new swap offer. The Swap Offer Wizard appears when you click PROPOSE OFFER from the Item View page.

Step 1: View all the items the other swapper is offering, and select the item(s) you want. The default is the item from which you clicked PROPOSE OFFER.
Step 2: View all of your items, and select the items you wish to offer in this swap.
Step 3: Enter a US Dollar amount if you wish to add cash to this offer. The default is $0.
Step 4: Select a shipping method. The default is personal delivery.

Once you have completed the all the steps in the Wizard, the Swap Offer Summary appears where you can review and/or modify the offer before submitting. After you submit an offer, the other swapper receives and email notification of your proposal.
    
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How do I Accept an offer?
When someone proposes an offer, you will receive an email notification, and the new offer will appear in your Swap Tracker. To view the Swap Summary, you may either click the link in the email, or click the Swap ID in your Swap Tracker.
To accept the offer, click ACCEPT from the Swap Summary, and complete the PayPal steps.
    
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How do I Modify an offer?
When you receive an offer, you may accept the offer as-is, or change any of the details and propose an alternative offer. For example, the offer may specify “each pays” as the shipping method, but you would prefer personal delivery. You may modify any of the details (add, remove or change items, alter the shipping method, or change the “plus cash” value).
To modify an offer, click MODIFY from the Swap Summary. Follow the instructions on the Modify Swap page to change the details of the swap offer. After you submit a modified offer, the other swapper receives and email notification of your proposal.
    
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How do I Reject an offer?
To reject an offer, click REJECT from the Swap Summary. After you reject a swap offer, the other swapper receives and email notification of your rejection.
    
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How do I ask the other party questions?
If you have a question about an item/service before a swap transaction has been started, click the ASK A QUESTION button at the bottom of the Item View page. To send a message to the other swapper after a swap transaction has been started, type your message in the New Message text box on the Swap Summary, and click SEND. After you send a message, the other swapper will receive an email notification, and the conversation will appear in the Message History window of the Swap Summary.
    
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How do I pay?
You must have an existing PayPal account to complete a swap transaction. When you click ACCEPT from the Swap Summary, a PayPal screen appears. Sign in to PayPal and follow the online instructions to make your payment. When you are done, a Thank You page will appear. After completing PayPal, you will receive an email receipt of the transaction.
PayPal is a secure online payment system developed by eBay. Go to https://www.paypal.com/ to open a PayPal account.
    
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How do I give feedback ratings?
Once the online portion of the swap transaction is complete, the Swap Summary becomes a Swap Confirmation. Open the Swap Confirmation by clicking the Swap ID from your Swap Tracker. A Rate Swapper form remains available on the Swap Confirmation until you rate other swapper. Swapper feedback is important for building trust in our online bartering community. After you receive the items, please submit swapper feedback.
To provide feedback, complete the Rate Feedback form on the Swap Confirmation.
    
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How do I read the Swap Status information?

The Swap Status describes the stage in the swap process for a specific swap transaction. For example:
* New Offer: someone has proposed an offer to you. Please review the offer and respond.
* Pending Action: you have proposed an offer to someone else, and are awaiting a reply.
* Modified & Pending Action: you have modified an offer, and are awaiting the other swapper's reply.
* Accepted & Pending Action: you have accepted an offer. The online part of the swap transaction is complete. Please deliver the items as agreed.
* Modified & Needs Action: the other swapper has modified the offer and proposed an alternative. Please review the offer and respond.
* Accepted & Needs Action: the other swapper has accepted your offer. The online part of the swap transaction is almost complete. All that remains is for you to pay the agreed upon price (if applicable), and deliver the items as agreed.
* Complete: the online part of the swap transaction is complete. Please deliver the items as agreed. After receiving the items, please rate the other swapper.
    
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How do I get help and more information?

* These FAQs: Most of your questions should be answered on this page.
* SwapForum: We maintain an active forum where you can get answers from other users who have asked the same question. Review the information on our forum by clicking the SwapForum button in the main navigation bar on the left of this page.
* SwapThing Support: At SwapThing, customers always come first. If you don't find an answer on this page or in our SwapForum, send an email to support@swapthing.com for a personal response.
    
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   Patner Program
 
What is the SwapThing Partner Program?
This program is designed to help SwapThing partners easily create and manage a store on the web site. SwapThing expands partners’ market from the local level to a national level.
    
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How do I become a member of the SwapThing Partner Program?
After you create a free SwapThing account, complete the Partner application. Your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted within three business days, whether or not you are eligible.
    
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Are there requirements for being a partner?
Approved partners must list an average minimum of 100 items/services on their Offering page.
    
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What is the cost of becoming a SwapThing Partner?
Zero. Zilch. Zippo. Like all SwapThing services, becoming a partner is absolutely free of charge.
    
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What are the benefits of being a partner?
Your current market presence will be expanded to include the SwapThing user base. Partners? items/services will also be picked up as part of keyword-related natural search results. Partners also have access to our Partner Tools, which make the bulk uploading of your inventory much easier.
    
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Can I sell my items as well as swap them?
Yes. The items and services you are offering can be sold, swapped, or a combination of both (exchange an item/service for another item/service plus cash). It’s up to you to designate your listings as Cash Only, Swap Only, or Swap/Cash.
    
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How do I upload my items?
After you are approved as a SwapThing Partner, you will have a Partner tab on you?re My SwapThing page. On that tab are instructions for formatting a .txt file that you can upload quickly and easily from your desktop. We have designed our system to accept a standardized feeds, so you can easily reuse the same feed you use for Froogle or other comparison engines.
    
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   ShareThing Nonprofit Program
 
What is the ShareThing Nonprofit Program?
The ShareThing Nonprofit Program is designed to make it easier for nonprofit organizations to raise awareness of their missions, donation needs, and to gain support in their local community. With the SwapThing system, nonprofit organizations simply create a “wish list” of items and services needed through donations.
    
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How do I become a member of ShareThing?
After you create a free SwapThing account using the nonprofit organization’s name as the Swapper ID, complete the ShareThing application. You may use your personal email address if the nonprofit does not have one set up for donation purposes. Your organization’s application will be reviewed and you will be contacted within three business days, whether or not you are eligible.
    
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What is a verified member of ShareThing?
Verified members are those who have submitted a copy of their nonprofit documentation to SwapThing. Becoming verified increases your opportunity to get donations, as it requires no effort on the part of the donating party to check status of the organization. To become approved as a verified ShareThing nonprofit organization, you must submit a copy of the organization’s 501(c)(3) status. You may fax a copy of the 501(c)(3) IRS letter to (408) 516-8021 or mail to SwapThing, Inc., PO Box 514 Cupertino, CA 95015-0514.
    
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What is the cost of becoming a ShareThing member?
There is no cost to becoming a ShareThing member. At SwapThing, we believe that it should never cost money to donate and give support to others in the community.
    
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What are the benefits of ShareThing?
* Tax-deductible receipt for donors.
* Helping those in need.
* Elevate the profile of your nonprofit organization.
* Get the resources your nonprofit needs from a broader community of donors.
* Easy entry and management of wish lists – requires no Webmaster.
    
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How to I donate to a ShareThing member?
Browse the list of nonprofit organizations that are a part of the ShareThing program and check out what they are seeking in donations, or enter a keyword for the item you want to donate on the ShareThing page and see who needs it.
    
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   Other Issues
 
What do I do if my item is about to expire?
Inactive items remain in inventory for 90 days. An item is inactive if it no one views it or uses it in a swap offer. Items are automatically renewed each time you login to SwapThing.
    
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What do I do if the item from the other party never shows up?

Use the messaging feature in the Swap Summary to communicate directly with the other swapper. If they are unresponsive and you wish to escalate your concern, please send a message to SwapThing Customer Care at help@swapthing.com.

SwapThing's Fraud Policy
PayPal's Fraud Policy
    
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What do I do if the item is not what the other party says it is?
Use the messaging feature in the Swap Summary to communicate directly with the other swapper. If they are unresponsive and you wish to escalate your concern, please send a message to SwapThing Customer Care at help@swapthing.com.
    
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How does SwapThing help assure that the items I get in trade are as they were presented?
Most swappers do a good job of presenting their items fairly. If you feel that the item you received was not the quality you expected, you should first try to negotiate a settlement with the other swapper. If that fails to produce a solution, you should follow SwapThing's reporting process. As you close more swaps on SwapThing, you will develop an experience rating that tells other swappers how reliable you are. You can also review ratings for other swappers to determine their experience and reliability.
    
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How does SwapThing help me determine if the person I am swapping with will deal with me honestly?
Most swappers are as concerned as you are about honesty. If you feel that the deal you made was not fair, you should first try to negotiate a settlement with the other swapper. If that fails to produce a solution, you should follow SwapThing's reporting process. As you close more swaps on SwapThing, you will develop and experience rating that tells other swappers how reliable you are. You can also review ratings for other swappers to determine their experience and reliability.
    
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I have something to trade, but it is too big to ship. Can people in my general area find me?
Yes. SwapThing includes a geographic search capability so that you can connect with swappers in your area.
    
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I have some things that I don't want, and don't want anything in return. Can I donate items through SwapThing?
Yes. Turn those items into tax-deductible donations at SwapThing’s ShareThing Nonprofit Program. Look for a nonprofit organization at SwapThing that needs the items you have. A copy of the completed transaction will serve as a tax-deductible receipt for your donation. Contact your own tax expert for tax and legal advice regarding donations.
    
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   Business Barter Tax and Accounting FAQ
 
The following is presented for informational purposes only. Consult a qualified tax accountant to ensure proper treatment of taxable events.
 
Are Barter transactions taxable?
Barter transactions can provide your company with important financial, sales and marketing benefits. Like other transactions, however, barter sales are taxable, and your company must report them to the IRS.
    
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What value does my business report as income when the company barters?
If your business conducts any direct barter — that is, barter for another company's products or services — you will have to declare the fair market value of the items you exchanged as taxable income.
    
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What about barter purchases?
This same-as-cash standard (see question above) also applies to barter purchases: If a barter purchase is business-related, your business can deduct it from your taxes. If the barter purchase is for personal use, the business cannot deduct it.
    
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When does my business record bartering income and deductions?
You must report and pay taxes on barter income for the year in which it accrues. There are a few accounting guidelines to remember when you conduct barter transactions. All barter income and deductions are dealt with on the cash basis, and the IRS treats barter as income received, whether you use accrual-basis or cash-basis accounting.
    
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What if my business uses barter as compensation?
If your business uses barter to compensate a contractor, include it on the contractor's Form 1099; if the recipient is a regular employee, declare it on their W-2 and withhold all appropriate taxes.
    
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Does bartering make my business more likely to get audited?
A company using barter is no more likely to get audited than any other business. IRS rules concerning barter are well established, and the government considers the barter industry to be a perfectly legitimate business.
Treat barter just as you would any other business activity. Keep good records, work with a reputable barter exchange and consult a qualified CPA if you have any questions or problems. If you handle barter transactions properly, they can be a useful — and profitable — part of your business.
    
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   Individual and Self-employed Barter Tax FAQ
 
The following is presented for informational purposes only. Consult a qualified tax accountant to ensure proper treatment of taxable events.
 
Are Barter transactions taxable?
The informal exchange of similar goods and services on a noncommercial basis is not taxable.
If bartering on a commercial basis, you must include in your income, at the time received, the fair market value of property or services you receive in bartering.
    
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What value do I report as income when bartering?
If you exchange services with another person, and you both have agreed ahead of time as to the value of the services, then that value will be accepted as fair market value unless the value can be shown to be otherwise.
    
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Where and when do I report bartering income and deductions?
Generally, you report this income on Schedule C or Schedule C—EZ (Form 1040). However, if the barter involves an exchange of something other than services, such as in the last example below, you may have to use another form or schedule instead.
    
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What about my expenses?
If you are in a business or trade, you may deduct any costs you incurred to perform the work that was bartered.
    
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Examples
 
You are a self-employed attorney who performs legal services for a client, a small corporation. The corporation gives you shares of its stock as payment for your services. You must include the fair market value of the shares in your income on Schedule C or Schedule C—EZ (Form 1040) for the year you receive them.
 
 
You are a self-employed accountant. You and a house painter get in touch with each other directly and bargain for the value of the services to be performed. In return for accounting services you provided, the house painter painted your home. You must report as your income on Schedule C or Schedule C—EZ (Form 1040) the fair market value of the house painting services you received. The house painter must include in income the fair market value of the accounting services you provided.
 
 
You own a small apartment building. In return for 6 months rent-free use of an apartment, an artist gives you a work of art she created. You must report as rental income on Schedule E (Form 1040) the fair market value of the artwork, and the artist must report as income on Schedule C or Schedule C—EZ (Form 1040) the fair rental value of the apartment.
 
    
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   SwapThing Services FAQ
 
 
How does it work?
A SwapThing services subscription gives you the power to advertise your services to a wide audience of SwapThing users, and the flexibility to swap or sell your service. Every service provider faces the double issue of attracting new customers and filling unused downtime. Swapping for your service is a great way to get what you need for your business or yourself, without spending any cash. You can swap with a potential new customer for any combination of items or cash. The customer will often return on a cash-only basis, making SwapThing an effective lead generation tool. SwapThing is completely flexible, and you are in charge of what deals you accept.
    
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What do I swap for?
Anything you want. You are in charge of the list of items you are seeking, so the more you list, the more opportunities you have to swap. You can swap for other services, such as accounting for painting, hair color for personal training, or any other services you might need. You can also swap for items, such as a new computer for the office or a crib for your new baby. The possibilities are endless, and you are only limited by the list of items and services you want.
    
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Why are services a subscription instead of a per-item charge?
Items listed on SwapThing can be anonymous, in that you do not care about who owns that flat screen TV you covet, only what condition it is in. When it comes to services, users care quite a bit about identifying factors, such as location, reputation, and years in business. The subscription allows you to fully advertise your service, locally and nationally. It?s up to you to decide how much you want to sell and how much you want to swap that service.
    
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How much does it cost?
  Local Subscription    National Subscription
Monthly $ 8.00       $ 10.00   
Quarterly $ 19.00       $ 28.00   
Yearly $ 70.00       $100.00   
    
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What is the difference between Local and National?
Local is your defined metropolitan area or areas. Many services need to be delivered in person, so it only makes sense to advertise in your local area. Other services, such as web design, can be delivered electronically anywhere, so you can get the most business by advertising nationally.
    
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How do you manage reputations?
We are fully integrated with RapLeaf, a portable reputation system that you will own where ever you may go. SwapThing users will comment on the service you provided after every swap. You can even invite your existing customers to comment on your services to build your rating. To borrow a line from RapLeaf, we at SwapThing also believe that it is more profitable to be ethical.
    
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What is the difference between SwapServices and a Skill?
A service is what you do professionally as your job. You want a SwapService listing if you want to advertise your service for swap or sale to the SwapThing audience. SwapService listings are a service you subscribe to, and as such you can show all your contact information and include a link to your website. As a loyal SwapThing user, we are giving you the first 90 days for free so you can see how it works. A skill is something that you are good at, but do not do professionally. If you want to swap your skill for another swapper's skill or item, you should select a skill listing. Skill listings are swapped just like items, you don't give out any personal data, and are charged just $1.00 per swap.
 
Examples
 
See Sample SwapServices Listing
 
    
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   SwapThing Affiliate Program FAQ
 
 
What is the SwapAffiliate program?
The SwapAffiliate program is a plug-and-play social network for niche websites. The downloadable SwapAffiliate widgets enable the owners of web properties, such as forums, blogs, and websites, to earn revenue while providing an added value to their users. Using the widgets, site owners are able to create an instant community for their website and encourage user interaction through SwapCircles. These communities can be accessed only through the owner?s website, or can be made public and accessed through both the original website and SwapThing.com.
    
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Who is a SwapAffiliate partner?
If you own a forum, blog or website where users regularly come together to comment or interact with your content, then you can be a SwapAffiliate. SwapAffiliates is targeted towards niche websites that have a loyal following of users.
    
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How do I sign-up to be a Swap Affiliate partner?
Register your website at: http://www.swapthing.com/swapCircles/affiliateRegistrationBegin.do You will need to provide a contact phone number and a registered tax ID to receive your commission.
    
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How long does it take to install the widget?
The widgets can be downloaded and installed in less than an hour. Don?t forget to have a picture/logo ready to upload.
    
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My widget?s tag cloud is empty, why?
In order to display a tag cloud, the SwapCircle needs to have tagged items. Add a few things to your SwapCircle and watch the widget tag box populate.
    
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What is a SwapCircle?
A SwapCircle is a plug-and-play community that enables your users to swap. They can put up a profile picture, add to their seeking and offering lists, and begin to interact with each other. When you download the widget, you become the owner of a SwapCircle. You can invite your users into the SwapCircle to swap or sell items and services. Any swaps completed in your circle will earn you revenue.
    
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How many SwapCircles can I own?
SwapAffiliate partners can own multiple SwapCircles. We recommend that you have one for each web property that you manage. The most active circles earn the most revenue.
    
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Can anyone join my SwapCircle?
The owner of the circle has the option of adjusting the privacy feature on the SwapCircles. If you choose to make your circle public, then anyone can join. Private circles need the permission of the owner to join.
    
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Can I customize my SwapCircle?
Yes. SwapAffiliates has been designed to be a self-select program that is customizable in look and feel to each affiliate partner. There are multiple customizable options associated with being a part of SwapAffiliates. Affiliate partners can simply create their own SwapCircle, add a logo image, and invite the community members to join. SwapCircles can be focused on hobbies, shared interests, or even offline groups.
    
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How does it work?
SwapCircles layer seamlessly onto existing networks. They provide a mechanism through which members can swap items and services, adding a valuable service for users. Affiliate partners will have their choice of three customizable widgets that range from a very small box that asks users to join the SwapCircle to a very large, almost full page, widget that mirrors the look of a public SwapCircle page on the SwapThing site.
    
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How much commission will I earn?
SwapThing gives a 10% commission on all transaction/subscription revenue from any activity by members of the circle. This is a great way for niche sites to monetize their community while providing a great service for users.
    
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SwapThing Fraud Policy
 
SwapThing is committed to providing a safe environment for swap transactions and sales. Most issues that arise can be resolved through communicating with the other swapper before taking the issue directly to the SwapThing Customer Care.

If online communications with the other swapper do not resolve the problem, sometimes the exchanging of phone numbers will result in verbal communication that will clear up any misunderstandings or issues.

Report suspicious activities, like receiving the wrong items, unsent items, and non-payments, to the SwapThing Customer Care at help@swapthing.com and we will investigate the incident.

You may wish to contact law enforcement to report this activity if the situation continues to escalate. A complaint can be filed with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center or you may visit the Federal Trade Commission's Web site for more information.


SwapThing does not allow for illegal copies of music and film to be listed amongst your inventory. Such listings will be removed from the site and you will be contacted with a reminder of this policy. Continued attempts to list pirated items will resort in the cancellation of your SwapThing account.

If you have any questions or would like more information on anti-piracy laws and issues, please visit the Recording Industry Association of America http://www.riaa.com/issues/piracy/default.asp and Motion Picture Association of America http://www.mpaa.org/anti-piracy/ web sites.
    
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