Guides for UK online sellers
Straight answers on tax for eBay, Vinted and reselling. No jargon, and written for real sellers rather than accountants.
Do I owe tax?
Start hereDo you pay tax on selling online in the UK?
The complete plain-English guide to tax on online selling in the UK: trading versus personal, the £1,000 allowance, and whether you actually owe HMRC.
Read the guide →Do you pay tax on eBay sales in the UK?
Worried you owe tax on your eBay sales? Here is how the £1,000 trading allowance, 'trading' versus selling your own stuff, and Self Assessment really work for UK sellers.
Read the guide →Do you pay tax on Vinted in the UK?
Most Vinted selling is not taxable, but some is. Here is how the £1,000 allowance, personal items and HMRC reporting really work for Vinted sellers.
Read the guide →Am I trading, or just selling my own things?
The difference between trading and selling personal items decides whether you owe tax. Here are the badges of trade in plain English, with examples.
Read the guide →Do you pay tax on Facebook Marketplace sales in the UK?
Most Facebook Marketplace selling is not taxable, but flipping for profit can be. Here is how the trading rules and the £1,000 allowance apply.
Read the guide →When does a hobby become a business? (UK tax)
The line between a hobby and a taxable business in the UK, the badges of trade in plain English, and what changes once you cross it.
Read the guide →Do you pay tax on Etsy sales in the UK?
Whether Etsy sellers owe UK tax, how the £1,000 allowance applies to handmade and vintage sales, and what counts as trading.
Read the guide →Do students pay tax on a reselling side hustle?
Whether students owe tax on reselling, how the £1,000 and £12,570 allowances apply, and why student status does not change the tax rules.
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The rules explained
Start hereUK reseller tax rules, explained
The allowances, thresholds and rules that decide your reselling tax: the £1,000 trading allowance, the £12,570 personal allowance, reporting, and National Insurance.
Read the guide →What is the £1,000 trading allowance?
What the £1,000 trading allowance is, why it is based on your sales not your profit, and how to choose between the flat allowance and your real costs.
Read the guide →How much tax will I pay on my reselling?
How reselling profit is taxed in the UK: the £1,000 allowance, your £12,570 personal allowance, income tax bands and Class 4 NI, with simple examples.
Read the guide →HMRC side hustle tax rules, explained
What the marketplace reporting rules mean for UK side hustlers, why platforms share your data with HMRC, and when you actually owe tax.
Read the guide →Class 4 National Insurance for resellers, explained
What Class 4 National Insurance is, when self-employed resellers pay it, and how it sits on top of income tax, in plain English.
Read the guide →The 30 sales and £1,700 reporting rule, explained
What the platform reporting thresholds mean, why 30 sales or about £1,700 triggers a report to HMRC, and why it does not mean you owe tax.
Read the guide →Do resellers need to worry about VAT?
VAT is separate from income tax, and most UK resellers never need to touch it. Here is the £90,000 threshold, when it actually applies, and what to do if you get close.
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Getting it sorted
Start hereSorting your reselling tax: what to do and when
A complete walkthrough of getting your reselling tax sorted: when to register, what records to keep, and how to file, with the key deadlines.
Read the guide →eBay told HMRC about me. What happens now?
Being reported by eBay or Vinted is not a tax bill. Here is what the report actually is, why it happens, and the simple steps to take next.
Read the guide →Self Assessment for online sellers: a simple walkthrough
A plain-English walkthrough of Self Assessment for eBay and Vinted sellers: when to register, what you need, the key dates and the £100 penalty to avoid.
Read the guide →Do I need to register as self-employed to sell online?
When online selling means registering as self-employed with HMRC, when it does not, the £1,000 line, and the 5 October deadline, in plain English.
Read the guide →What happens if you do not declare your reselling income?
The real consequences of not declaring taxable reselling income to HMRC, why it is easier to catch now, and how to put it right.
Read the guide →Record keeping for resellers: what to track for tax
A simple guide to the records UK resellers should keep for tax: sales, fees, postage and stock costs, how long to keep them, and the easy way.
Read the guide →How to fill in the SA103 self-employment pages
The SA103 is the self-employment part of your tax return. Here is what each box means for a reseller, in plain English, so you can fill it in without second-guessing.
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Profit and fees
Start hereWorking out your real profit as a reseller
The complete guide to your real reselling profit: the fees and costs that come off, how to work it out, and why it is the number that matters for tax.
Read the guide →What expenses can I claim as a reseller?
The costs UK resellers can deduct before tax: stock, fees, postage, packaging and more, plus how to choose between real costs and the £1,000 allowance.
Read the guide →eBay seller fees explained: what eBay actually takes
A plain look at eBay UK seller fees: the final value fee, per-order and regulatory fees, and why your real profit is lower than the sale price.
Read the guide →How to work out your real profit on eBay and Vinted
Your sale price is not your profit. Here is the simple way to work out what you actually keep on eBay and Vinted, after fees, postage and stock costs.
Read the guide →eBay profit calculator: how to work out what you actually keep
How an eBay profit calculator works, the costs it takes off your sale price, and how to see your real profit after fees, postage and stock.
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