# Selling online in the UK: tax and HMRC reports

Selling your own used things online is usually tax free in the UK, however many items you sell. Buying to resell, or making things to sell for profit, counts as trading, and trading income above £1,000 a year goes on a Self Assessment return. Since 1 January 2024, marketplaces collect details of sellers who pass 30 sales or about £1,700 a year and send them to HMRC each January. That report creates no new tax: your activity decides what you owe.

## Who

You need to tell HMRC if your gross trading income from selling goods, services or content passes £1,000 in a tax year (6 April to 5 April). Selling a single personal item for more than £6,000 can bring Capital Gains Tax. Platforms report you once you reach 30 sales or about £1,700 in a calendar year, whether you owe tax or not.

## Dates

- 2024-01-01: Platforms start collecting details of UK sellers who pass 30 sales or €2,000 (about £1,700) a year.
- 2025-01-31: First deadline for platforms to send HMRC their 2024 seller reports.
- 2026-04-05: The 2025 to 2026 tax year ends: trading income above £1,000 in it goes on a Self Assessment return.
- 2026-10-05: Deadline to register for Self Assessment for the 2025 to 2026 tax year, or risk a penalty.
- 2027-01-31: Deadline to file the online return and pay the tax for 2025 to 2026.

## Tools

- Vinted: yes. Asks you for one extra detail once you pass 30 sales or about £1,700, reports in January and sends you a copy. (https://www.vinted.co.uk/help/1308, 2026-10-05)
- eBay: yes. Reports your name, address, National Insurance number and quarterly sales once you reach 30 sales or £1,707 after fees. (https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/account/regulatory/sales-reporting/uk-digital-sales-reporting?id=5454, 2026-10-05)
- Etsy: yes. Reports UK sellers with 30 physical sales, about £1,700, or any made-to-order digital sale in a calendar year. (https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-gb/articles/17795509361431-What-Information-Does-Etsy-Report-for-Sellers-in-the-EU-UK-and-Canada, 2026-10-05)
- Depop: yes. Sends a form in the app once you pass 30 items or about £1,700, and may pause payouts if you skip it. (https://depophelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/22178232374289-Reporting-your-income-in-the-UK-HMRC, 2026-10-05)
- FreeAgent: yes. Files your Self Assessment return straight to HMRC from the figures in your books. (https://www.freeagent.com/features/self-assessment/, 2026-10-05)
- QuickBooks: partial. Sole Trader Plus (£10 a month plus VAT) estimates your tax and prepares the figures, but you file the return yourself. (https://quickbooks.intuit.com/uk/self-employed/, 2026-10-05)
- Xero: partial. Keeps digital records and sends quarterly updates for sole traders under Making Tax Digital, from every plan. (https://www.xero.com/uk/making-tax-digital/, 2026-10-05)

## Questions

### Do I pay tax on selling my clothes on Vinted?

Usually not. HMRC treats clothes, furniture or phones you bought for yourself as personal possessions, and selling them is not trading, however many you sell. You normally sell them for less than you paid, so there is no gain either. Tax only comes in if you buy items to resell or make them for profit, or if one item sells for more than £6,000.

### Will Vinted tell HMRC about me?

Only if you pass 30 sales or about £1,700 (€2,000) in a calendar year. Vinted then asks you to confirm a detail on a pre-filled form and sends the data to HMRC the following January, with a copy for you. The report lists totals, not whether you made a profit. A report does not mean you owe tax.

### When do I need to register for Self Assessment?

Register once your gross trading income passes the £1,000 trading allowance in a tax year. The deadline is 5 October after the tax year ends, so 5 October 2026 for income earned from April 2025 to April 2026. You then file online and pay by 31 January, which is 31 January 2027 for that year. Registering late can cost you a penalty.

### What is the £1,000 trading allowance?

It lets you earn up to £1,000 a year in gross trading income without telling HMRC or paying tax on it. It covers selling goods, casual services such as babysitting, and online content. Above £1,000 you can deduct the allowance or your real expenses, whichever is higher. You still need records of what you earned.

### I moved to the UK. Do I declare sales from my home country's platforms too?

If you are UK resident, your trading income counts wherever you sell, including on platforms in your home country. Platforms in the EU report you to your seller country under similar rules. The same test applies: your own used things are not trading, items bought to resell are. If you also run a business back home, ask an accountant about double taxation.

## Sources

- [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)
- [GOV.UK: Selling goods or services on a digital platform](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/selling-goods-or-services-on-a-digital-platform)
- [GOV.UK: Reporting rules for digital platforms](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/reporting-rules-for-digital-platforms)
- [GOV.UK: Tax-free allowances on property and trading income](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tax-free-allowances-on-property-and-trading-income)
- [GOV.UK: Register for Self Assessment](https://www.gov.uk/register-for-self-assessment)
- [GOV.UK: Self Assessment tax return deadlines](https://www.gov.uk/self-assessment-tax-returns/deadlines)