Free · no sign-up · nothing storedLaw checked 2 November 2026

Do I pay tax selling on Etsy, eBay or Vinted? (UK)

Do I pay tax selling on Etsy, eBay or Vinted?

Usually not if you are selling your own used things: HMRC says you probably do not pay Income Tax on personal possessions. If you make things to sell or buy to resell, that is trading: over £1,000 of gross trading income in the tax year (2026-27), you register for Self Assessment by 5 October after it. Being reported by a platform is not the same as owing tax.

Platforms now send HMRC details of sellers with 30 or more sales, or more than about £1,700, in a calendar year. That is a reporting line, not a tax line, and the 2026 reports reach HMRC, with a copy to you, by 31 January 2027.

Answer the questions for one tax year. The checker shows whether your selling looks like trading, whether you are over the trading allowance, and what the platform report means.

Use the calculator All free tools

Built by Muhammad Shahzeb Anwar, MSc Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Rules from GOV.UK and HMRC's Business Income Manual, including the trading allowance change announced on 28 October 2026.

The calculator

Check your selling

Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.

Your sales in one tax year (6 April to 5 April)

Gross: the price plus any postage the buyer paid you, before fees and costs.
Other side jobs, before expenses. The allowance covers all trades together.
Materials, stock, platform fees, postage you paid.

The badges of trade

Platform report check (one platform, one calendar year)

    Your own things vs trading

    Personal possessions are things that belong to you for your own use, including things you bought or were given. HMRC's guidance says that if you are selling these you probably do not have to pay Income Tax on them, even if you sell a lot of them, for example when clearing out a loft or children's clothes.

    Trading is different: making things to sell (even as a hobby), buying things to sell at a profit, or selling services. Where it is not clear, HMRC weighs the badges of trade: a profit-seeking motive, the number of transactions, the nature of the item, similar trading, changes made to the item, the way it was sold, how it was paid for, the time between buying and selling, and how you got it. No single badge decides it.

    The trading allowance: £1,000, then £3,000

    For 2025-26 and 2026-27 the trading allowance is £1,000 of gross trading income in the tax year, from all your trades added together. If your gross trading income is £1,000 or less, HMRC says you may not need to tell it. Over £1,000, you register for Self Assessment by 5 October after the tax year, and you can deduct the £1,000 instead of your actual costs.

    On 28 October 2026 GOV.UK published a measure to raise the allowance, and the Self Assessment reporting line for trading income, to £3,000 from 6 April 2027, legislated in the Finance Bill 2026-27. The £3,000 idea had been talked about since 2024; it now has a start date, but it is not law yet and it does not change 2026-27.

    Worked example. Sam makes candles. In 2026-27 the candle sales come to £838 including postage the buyers paid, with £304 of costs. That is under £1,000, so the allowance covers it. Sam also sold an old games console and children's clothes on eBay and Vinted: personal possessions, not trading.

    What the platform report means

    Since 1 January 2024 platforms such as Etsy, eBay and Vinted collect seller details and report each calendar year to HMRC by 31 January, giving the seller a copy. A platform does not have to report a seller who made fewer than 30 sales of goods and received €2,000 or less (HMRC says about £1,700) on it in the year. Each platform counts separately, and sellers of services are reported whatever the amount.

    HMRC's press release of 4 December 2024 said there are no new tax obligations for people selling unwanted items online. The report runs January to December, while the allowance runs 6 April to 5 April, so sales from 1 January to 5 April belong to the previous tax year.

    Capital Gains Tax on personal items

    HMRC says you may need to pay Capital Gains Tax if you sell a personal possession, or a set of things such as matching chessmen, for £6,000 or more. Your car is exempt, and so are things with a limited life, such as most watches and clocks, unless you used them in a business. Whether any tax is due depends on what you paid and your annual tax-free allowance.

    Common mistakes

    Testing profit against the £1,000 allowance (it is gross income); using the platform's calendar-year total for the tax year; counting only one platform when you trade on several; forgetting other side income that is trading too; and assuming a report from Vinted or eBay means tax is due.

    Before you rely on this

    What this will not tell you

    This applies HMRC's published guidance to your answers. It is not a ruling: only HMRC decides whether you are trading. It does not work out Capital Gains Tax, VAT, or tax on profits, and it does not cover partnerships, companies or property income. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

    Questions

    Questions people actually ask

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

    Not usually, if they are your own used things. HMRC says you probably do not pay Income Tax on personal possessions. Selling things you made or bought to resell is trading.

    Will HMRC know if I sell on eBay?

    eBay and other platforms report sellers with 30 or more sales, or more than about £1,700, in a calendar year. Being reported does not mean you owe tax.

    Is the £1,000 trading allowance based on profit or sales?

    Sales. It is gross trading income before any costs, and all your trades are added together.

    Is the trading allowance going up to £3,000?

    GOV.UK announced on 28 October 2026 that it rises to £3,000 from 6 April 2027, in the Finance Bill 2026-27. For the 2026-27 tax year it is still £1,000.

    When do I register for Self Assessment if I sell online?

    By 5 October after the end of the tax year in which your gross trading income went over the allowance. For 2026-27 that is 5 October 2027, with the return due by 31 January 2028.

    Do I pay tax selling a watch or jewellery for over £6,000?

    Capital Gains Tax may apply to a personal possession sold for £6,000 or more. Things with a limited life, such as most watches, are usually exempt.

    What are the badges of trade?

    The signs HMRC uses to decide whether selling is trading: profit motive, number of sales, the item, similar trading, changes to the item, how it was sold, finance, time held and how you got it.

    Where every rule comes from

    Sources

    Checked against the text of the law on 2 November 2026. Laws and notified rates change; if a source below has moved on, the source wins over this page.

    1. GOV.UK: Check if you need to tell HMRC about your income from online platforms: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-need-to-tell-hmrc-about-your-income-from-online-platforms
    2. GOV.UK: Tax-free allowances on property and trading income: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tax-free-allowances-on-property-and-trading-income
    3. GOV.UK: Increasing the trading allowance (28 October 2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-increasing-the-trading-allowance/increasing-the-trading-allowance
    4. GOV.UK: Reporting rules for digital platforms: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/reporting-rules-for-digital-platforms
    5. GOV.UK: No tax changes for online sellers (press release): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/no-tax-changes-for-online-sellers
    6. HMRC Business Income Manual BIM20205: badges of trade: https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/business-income-manual/bim20205
    7. GOV.UK: Capital Gains Tax on personal possessions: https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax-personal-possessions
    8. GOV.UK: Register for Self Assessment: https://www.gov.uk/register-for-self-assessment
    Citation

    Cite this tool

    Free to use and free to quote. If a figure here is useful in something you are writing, a link back is all that is asked.

    Muhammad Shahzeb Anwar, MSc Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Online Selling Tax Checker (UK). Shahzeb Speaks. https://www.shahzebspeaks.com/do-i-pay-tax-selling-on-etsy-ebay-vinted/

    Every free tool

    The other free tools

    The tools hub →

    Each one answers a single question and refuses the ones it cannot. All free, none asks for an email address.

    Pakistan employment law6 tools

    Gratuity Calculator PakistanProvince by province, from the Standing Orders themselves, with the tax-free part. Final Settlement Calculator PakistanLast salary, unused leave, notice pay and gratuity in one statement. Minimum Wage Checker PakistanEach province's notified figure, the arrears it creates, and EOBI on top. Maternity Leave Calculator PakistanWeeks, dates, pay and paternity leave under each province's law. Harassment Act Compliance Checklist (Pakistan)Is your inquiry committee valid, and what else the 2010 Act requires. Punjab Labour Code 2026 CalculatorGratuity with the new caps, notice, unused leave and overtime under the 2026 Code.

    India3 tools

    Labour Codes Applicability Checker (India)Which duties under India's four Labour Codes apply at your headcount. Leave Encashment Calculator: New Labour Code (India)Annual leave earned, the 30-day carry-forward cap and encashment under the OSH Code. POSH Internal Committee Checker and Annual Report Builder (India)Internal Committee composition, the complaint timeline and the annual report.

    UK employment law4 tools

    Employment Tribunal Time Limit CalculatorThe new six-month limit, the old three-month one, and the Acas clock-stop. Unfair Dismissal Qualifying Period CheckerTwo years until 2027, six months after, with the statutory notice extension. All Reasonable Steps Checker: Sexual Harassment Duty (UK)Score your prevention against the EHRC's eight steps before 30 October 2026. 48-Hour Week Average CalculatorThe 17-week average, with leave put back in the way the regulations require.

    United States5 tools

    Pay Transparency Laws by State CheckerTick the states and cities a job touches; see what the posting must say. AI Hiring Laws by State CheckerNYC, Illinois, California, Colorado, Connecticut and more: what applies, and when. Non-Compete Laws by State Checker (2026)State bans, 2026 pay thresholds and the conditions on non-competes. WARN Act and State Mini-WARN CalculatorIs a layoff covered, how much notice, and the state rules on top. FMLA Eligibility CalculatorThe four federal tests, and how many of the 12 weeks are left.

    Canada4 tools

    Termination and Severance Pay Calculator CanadaStatutory notice and severance in all 14 jurisdictions, with group terminations. Vacation Pay Calculator CanadaVacation time and pay in all 14 jurisdictions, including PEI's 2026 change. Statutory Holiday Pay Calculator CanadaHoliday pay and pay for working the holiday, in all 14 jurisdictions. Job Posting Compliance Checker (Canada)Ontario's pay range cap, AI and Canadian-experience rules, plus BC, PEI and NB.

    EU regulation and hiring law5 tools

    EU AI Act HR and Recruitment CheckerIs your hiring or HR AI high-risk, banned or neither, and what applies when. EU Pay Transparency Directive CheckerWhich country has transposed it, what applies to you, and your first report date. EU Pay Transparency Gap CalculatorAll seven Article 9 indicators from one pasted list, and the 5% flag. NYC Bias Audit Impact Ratio CalculatorLocal Law 144's selection and scoring rates, by sex, race and both. Interview Question CheckerPaste your questions: which ones are unlawful, risky or fine, by country.

    I/O psychology and psychometrics14 tools

    Content Validity Ratio (CVR) CalculatorLawshe's CVR for every item, with exact critical values and the CVI. Aiken's V CalculatorAiken's V for each item, with its confidence interval and exact p-value. Standard Error of Measurement and Banding CalculatorSEM, SED and the band of scores that cannot be told apart from the top. Taylor-Russell CalculatorValidity, selection ratio and base rate into the share of hires who succeed. rwg and ICC Calculator (Within-Group Agreement)Within-group agreement and ICCs before you aggregate team or climate scores. Motivating Potential Score CalculatorThe Job Characteristics Model's MPS, and which redesign lever moves it most. Vroom Expectancy Theory CalculatorVroom's motivational force for several choices and outcomes, side by side. Item Analysis Calculator (Difficulty, Discrimination, KR-20)Difficulty, discrimination, distractors and KR-20 for a multiple-choice test, from pasted answers. 9-Box Grid Generator (Performance and Potential)Paste names and two ratings; get the plotted 9-box grid and the rating problems to fix first. Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) CalculatorThe free 19-item CBI with official scoring, for yourself or a whole team. Composite Reliability, AVE and HTMT CalculatorCR, AVE, MSV, Fornell-Larcker and HTMT for every construct, from loadings and correlations. Intraclass Correlation (ICC) CalculatorWhich ICC you need, all six forms with confidence intervals, and the sentence for your write-up. eNPS Calculator with Margin of ErroreNPS with its margin of error, and whether the change since last time is real. Spearman-Brown Prophecy CalculatorHow reliable a longer or shorter test would be, and how many items reach a target.

    US money and tax (2026)5 tools

    Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator 2026Self-employment and income tax for 2026, the safe-harbor amount, and what to pay each quarter. Mileage Deduction Calculator 2026The two 2026 IRS mileage rates, split by date, and how much of each gig payout to set aside. No Tax on Tips and Overtime Calculator 2026The 2026 tips and overtime deductions after the caps and the $150,000 phase-out. Dependent Care FSA vs Tax Credit Calculator 2026The $7,500 FSA against the 50% child care credit: what each comes to on your numbers. Parent PLUS Loan Calculator 2026-27Net price, the gap after the student's loan, Parent PLUS under the 2026 limits, and the payment.

    UK money and tax (2026-27)6 tools

    Making Tax Digital Income Tax CheckerThe £50,000, £30,000 and £20,000 tests on gross income, and your start date. Payments on Account CalculatorWhat Self Assessment asks for in January and July, and the first-year surprise. 60% Tax Trap and £100k Childcare Cliff CalculatorAdjusted net income, the £100k cliff and the rate on your next £1,000. Landlord Tax Calculator 2027Your rental tax now, under the 22% law and the 24% Budget plan. Care Home Fees: How Long Will Savings Last?Months until savings reach £23,250, and the weekly top-up after that. UK Maternity Pay Calculator 2026-27Statutory Maternity Pay week by week from your start date, with the week-7 drop.

    Canada money and tax4 tools

    TFSA Contribution Room CalculatorYour TFSA room, the over-contribution tax, and your room on 1 Jan 2027. GST/HST $30,000 Small Supplier CalculatorOne quarter or four: when the $30,000 GST/HST limit makes you register. FHSA + HBP Down Payment CalculatorFHSA, the $60,000 HBP and savings against the minimum down payment, CMHC and the GST rebate. EI Maternity and Parental Leave Calculator (Canada)EI maternity and parental benefits per week and in total, standard or extended, with dates.

    Online sellers3 tools

    Etsy Profit CalculatorEvery Etsy fee by country, the profit, and what an Offsite Ads sale leaves. TikTok Shop Fee CalculatorFee, creator commission, returns and ads: what one order really leaves you. Reseller Profit CalculatorWhat a flip really makes after eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, Depop, Vinted, Facebook or Etsy fees.

    Household planners4 tools

    Wedding Cost Per Guest CalculatorFixed vs per-guest wedding costs: what each guest really adds and how many your budget covers. Balance Transfer 0% APR Payoff CalculatorWill a 0% balance be gone before the promo ends? The monthly payment that clears it. Christmas Savings CalculatorYour Christmas budget split into weekly, every-2-weeks or monthly amounts, with the dates. Puppy First-Year Cost CalculatorWhat a new puppy costs in year one: one-time costs, monthly budget, total.

    Hiring and selection4 tools

    Adverse Impact CalculatorThe four-fifths ratio, and how many selections would clear it. Selection Accuracy CalculatorWhat a hiring test is worth once the base rate is included. Utility Analysis CalculatorWhat a better hiring method is actually worth, in money. Range Restriction CalculatorWhy your own data makes your test look worse than it is.

    Absence, pay, turnover and engagement4 tools

    Bradford Factor CalculatorWhy five one-day absences score twenty-five times one long one. Pay Gap CalculatorMean against median, and what their disagreement tells you. Employee Turnover Cost CalculatorFive lines, and the largest is the one nobody invoices for. Survivorship Bias CalculatorDid the score rise, or did the unhappy people leave?

    Reading a number without being fooled by it4 tools

    Regression to the Mean CalculatorWhy the month after a record month always disappoints. Review Rating Confidence CalculatorIs 4.6 from twelve reviews better than 4.4 from three hundred? Combined Rate Trap CalculatorBoth groups improved and the total fell. Simpson's paradox. Multiple Comparisons CalculatorRun twenty tests and one will win on its own.

    Selling on more than one site? Log it once

    The Online Seller Tax Checker kit adds a sales log for every platform, splits each platform's January-to-December report into UK tax years, shows which platforms are likely to report you, and runs the same checks from your real sales. Excel and Google Sheets workbook, an offline web version and a short guide. An estimate and a checker, not tax advice.

    Get the seller kit, $9