Plans to tax us for selling on eBay. What do you think?

Only sales over £1,700 OR more than 30 items a year are reported. Really?

Today I sold a dress for £2 on Vinted! I've sold more than 30 items in the 7 months I've been using it. But no way have I made anywhere near £1,700

So if I sold 30 x £2 dresses I would be reported?

I know someone who goes to car boot sales and on FB Marketplace to get items for a pittance then sells them on Vinted and ebay for a LOT more money. They aren't in high earning jobs although both work full time. They are saving to move to a safer area with their children but do actually make thousands a year doing this. They also sell on behalf of others and take a cut. Knowing how and where they live, I can understand them doing all they can do get out of their situation.

Welshy

Only sales over £1,700 OR more than 30 items a year are reported. Really?

Today I sold a dress for £2 on Vinted! I've sold more than 30 items in the 7 months I've been using it. But no way have I made anywhere near £1,700

So if I sold 30 x £2 dresses I would be reported?

Yes. However, the postage costs would probably exceed any money you received and you would be able to show that to HMRC, if you keep receipts.

Nantotwo

I know someone who goes to car boot sales and on FB Marketplace to get items for a pittance then sells them on Vinted and ebay for a LOT more money. They aren't in high earning jobs although both work full time. They are saving to move to a safer area with their children but do actually make thousands a year doing this. They also sell on behalf of others and take a cut. Knowing how and where they live, I can understand them doing all they can do get out of their situation.

They're running a small business and should be taxed on it.

Nannan2

If theyre your personal items why should you pay tax TWICE? We pay VAT when we buy things why are we paying again to declutter them?Bl**dy grabbing Government.Its same with the pensions- the pensioners have paid tax on their earnings- why should they pay again? Jeremy Hunt has a lot to answer for.

Tax isn't paid at source on personal pension contributions, which is why pensions are taxed. If a person only receives state pension, he/she isn't taxed.

A person selling personal items won't be taxed.

Nantotwo

I know someone who goes to car boot sales and on FB Marketplace to get items for a pittance then sells them on Vinted and ebay for a LOT more money. They aren't in high earning jobs although both work full time. They are saving to move to a safer area with their children but do actually make thousands a year doing this. They also sell on behalf of others and take a cut. Knowing how and where they live, I can understand them doing all they can do get out of their situation.

Why don’t you report them to HMRC? It’s very easily done online and you can do it confidentially if you wish.

Why don’t you report them to HMRC? It’s very easily done online and you can do it confidentially if you wish.
Probably because she understands their doing all they can to get out of their situation, which is trying to bring their children up in a safe area?

I'm not in favour of tax evasion, but a bit of compassion goes a long way. Also, just as they don't rely on virtue signals for their information, the angels will still know about anonymous reports.

I honestly don't understand the uproar around this.
We all know if we are shifting personal clutter or are selling for profit, surely.

Nothing has changed except now HMRC has a way to see it.
If people are (basically) operating on a business basis - buying and selling or taking commissions for example they should be taxed on that profit as they would be if it was a physical shop.

I doubt that occasional sale of a possession that’s no longer needed - like me selling my old Hostess Trolley - is going to raise queries. For those who are doing it as a business, or a regular income-generating sideline, it’s a different matter.

Witzend

I doubt that occasional sale of a possession that’s no longer needed - like me selling my old Hostess Trolley - is going to raise queries. For those who are doing it as a business, or a regular income-generating sideline, it’s a different matter.

Agreed.

My niece sells a lot of old clothes on eBay and Vinted, as she is young, fashionable and skint. She operates a 'one in, one out' policy, and when she buys a new item she sells the old one. She's not making a profit, but has quite a turnover. That's very different from someone importing tat from China and selling it on.

Another consideration is that some eBay sellers have thousands of sales, but don't register as a shop, which means that buyers don't have the same protections (eg the right to return items), which is unfair both to the buyers and to more honest brokers who do declare their business status.

Doodledog

*Why don’t you report them to HMRC? It’s very easily done online and you can do it confidentially if you wish.*
Probably because she understands their doing all they can to get out of their situation, which is trying to bring their children up in a safe area?

I'm not in favour of tax evasion, but a bit of compassion goes a long way. Also, just as they don't rely on virtue signals for their information, the angels will still know about anonymous reports.

If these people are in low paid jobs they probably pay tax at 20%, which means they would keep 80% of this income. They may even be receiving benefits. I cannot condone tax evasion (and possibly benefit fraud) just because someone is saving up for a better home.

Doodledog

Witzend

I doubt that occasional sale of a possession that’s no longer needed - like me selling my old Hostess Trolley - is going to raise queries. For those who are doing it as a business, or a regular income-generating sideline, it’s a different matter.

Agreed.

My niece sells a lot of old clothes on eBay and Vinted, as she is young, fashionable and skint. She operates a 'one in, one out' policy, and when she buys a new item she sells the old one. She's not making a profit, but has quite a turnover. That's very different from someone importing tat from China and selling it on.

Another consideration is that some eBay sellers have thousands of sales, but don't register as a shop, which means that buyers don't have the same protections (eg the right to return items), which is unfair both to the buyers and to more honest brokers who do declare their business status.

All she needs to do is keep the receipts for any clothes she buys.

GSM you've echoed my thoughts. I was going to suggest shopping people to HMRC but didn't get around to it.

Nantotwo there are a lot of people who work two jobs in order to save money or maybe just to help with the cost if living. Invariably they will be paying on both incomes.If everybody did as your friends then we would be in a worse situation than now.

Indeed we would Dinahmo. Compassion doesn’t come into it. These people are committing at least one criminal offence and effectively cheating the rest of us.

growstuff

Welshy

Only sales over £1,700 OR more than 30 items a year are reported. Really?

Today I sold a dress for £2 on Vinted! I've sold more than 30 items in the 7 months I've been using it. But no way have I made anywhere near £1,700

So if I sold 30 x £2 dresses I would be reported?

Yes. However, the postage costs would probably exceed any money you received and you would be able to show that to HMRC, if you keep receipts.

The buyer pays the postage on Vinted.

Aha! But even so, you'd have to sell 500 dresses @ £2 to make £1000 profit - even if the dresses were acquired for free.

Vinted would report the seller, but any tax return would show no profit, so there wouldn't be any tax to pay.

This is not to catch out the ordinary person selling a few items they no longer need. This is to prevent tax and benefit fraud by people who are milking the system. If you are only an occasional seller you have nothing to fear.