Do I have to pay tax on things I sell on Vinted or eBay?

Not if you're selling your own unwanted things, like clothes you've worn, for less than you paid. That isn't trading. If you make things to sell or buy things to resell, that is trading, and you need to tell HMRC if your trading sales are over £1,000 in a tax year.

Will Etsy, eBay or Vinted report me to HMRC?

Since 1 January 2024, selling sites send HMRC details of sellers who make 30 or more sales, or receive more than €2,000 (about £1,700), on that site in a calendar year. Reports are sent each January and you get a copy. Being reported doesn't mean you owe tax.

What is the £1,000 trading allowance?

If your trading income is £1,000 or less in a tax year, before any costs, you don't need to tell HMRC or pay tax on it. Above £1,000, you can take off either your actual costs or £1,000, whichever is better.

When do I need to register for Self Assessment?

By 5 October after the end of the tax year. For sales between 6 April 2025 and 5 April 2026, register by 5 October 2026, then file online and pay by 31 January 2027.

Do I need to tell HMRC about selling online?

Etsy, eBay, Vinted and other selling sites now report their sellers to HMRC. Answer five questions to see whether you need to do anything, and roughly what you'd pay.

Trading sales from 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026

What buyers paid for things you made, or bought to resell, across every site and market. Leave out your own unwanted things, like old clothes. Enter 0 if that's all you sold.

Costs for those sales

Selling and payment fees, postage, packaging, materials and stock. Leave blank if you don't know: you can use the £1,000 allowance instead.

Pay from a job or pension

Before tax, for the same year. It decides which tax rate your selling profit falls into. Leave blank if none.

Your busiest selling site: number of sales in a calendar year

January to December, counting everything, personal items too. Your sales history on the site shows this.

…and what you received on that site in the same year

Where do you live?

Scotland has its own income tax rates.

England, Wales or Northern Ireland Scotland

Keep your selling records in one place

Our Online Seller Tax Calculator spreadsheet does this check from your actual sales, site by site, and keeps personal items out of your trading total.

Sales by site, with the sites likely to report you to HMRC flagged
Fees, postage, packaging and materials sorted into the right expense categories
Your tax estimate and every figure for the 2025/26 return, in Excel or Google Sheets

See the seller spreadsheet

Selling online and tax: the rules

Selling your own things isn't trading

Clearing out your wardrobe on Vinted, or selling a sofa on Facebook Marketplace, isn't trading if you're selling things you owned for your own use, usually for less than you paid. There's no income tax on it.

You're more likely to be trading if you make things to sell, buy things to resell at a profit, or sell regularly to make money. HMRC calls these the "badges of trade".

One exception: a single personal item sold for more than £6,000, like a piece of jewellery or art, can be liable to Capital Gains Tax.

The £1,000 trading allowance

If your trading sales are £1,000 or less in a tax year, before any costs, you don't need to tell HMRC. This is the total from all sites and markets together.

Above £1,000, register for Self Assessment and file a return. You can then take off either your actual costs or a flat £1,000, whichever leaves a lower profit.

When selling sites report you

Since 1 January 2024, sites like Etsy, eBay, Vinted, Depop and Amazon collect details about their sellers. Each January they send HMRC the previous calendar year's sales for sellers with 30 or more sales, or more than €2,000 (about £1,700) received, and send the seller a copy.

Being reported isn't a tax bill. If your sales were personal items, or your trading was within the £1,000 allowance, there's nothing to pay. HMRC may write to you, so keep a simple record of what you sold.

Key dates for 2025/26

5 October 2026: register for Self Assessment if this is your first return. Missed it? Register as soon as you can.
31 January 2027: file your online return and pay what you owe
31 July 2027: second payment on account, if HMRC asks for one

What this checker leaves out

Losses, if your costs were more than your sales
Savings interest, dividends, rental income and capital gains
Student loan repayments and the High Income Child Benefit Charge
VAT, which only applies once your sales go over £90,000 in 12 months

It also assumes the tax on your job was taken correctly through PAYE. HMRC's own calculation, when you file, is the final word.

Already earn more from self-employment? Try the self-employed tax calculator for your full January bill.