Most guides are about Vinted, but UK tax doesn't care which app you use. The same rules apply on eBay, Etsy, Depop, Facebook Marketplace or a car boot sale. This page shows how they play out on each, and what happens when you sell on more than one. The free checker works for any platform.
How much can you sell on eBay before paying tax?
The same as anywhere else:
- Your own old things: there's usually no limit. Selling personal possessions usually isn't trading, however much you sell. One item or set over £6,000 may need a Capital Gains Tax check.
- Things you bought or made to sell: the first £1,000 a tax year (6 April to 5 April) is tax-free, counted before costs. Over that, you usually need to register as self-employed and pay tax on your profit.
The same reporting rules on every app
Since 1 January 2024, eBay, Etsy, Depop and Vinted have all had to report sellers who, on that app in a calendar year, make 30 or more sales of goods or receive about £1,700 (€2,000) or more after fees.
- The limits are per app. Each app looks only at its own sales.
- The £1,000 trading allowance is shared across all apps. Your sales are added together.
- A report isn't a tax bill. It doesn't by itself mean you owe tax.
eBay
eBay sellers are often a mix: clear-outs of your own things alongside some reselling.
- Selling your own used electronics, books or furniture is usually not trading.
- Buying job lots, returns pallets or car boot finds to resell usually is.
- Whether you have a private or business account on eBay is an eBay setting. It doesn't decide your tax. What you sell, and why, does.
Etsy
Most Etsy sellers make things to sell, which usually counts as trading, even if it started as a hobby.
- If your Etsy takings are £1,000 or less in a tax year, the trading allowance usually covers you.
- Over that, your costs come off first: materials, packaging, postage, Etsy fees. You pay tax on the profit.
- Vintage sellers on Etsy who source items to resell are usually trading too.
Depop
Depop is popular for reselling, and that's where people get caught out.
- Selling clothes you bought for yourself is usually not trading.
- Sourcing from charity shops, vintage bundles or wholesale to resell usually is.
- If you do both, only the resold items count towards the £1,000.
Facebook Marketplace and everywhere else
The tax rules are the same wherever you sell, including Facebook Marketplace, local groups and car boot sales, even when nothing is reported to HMRC. What counts is what you sell and how much you make, not where.
Selling on more than one app
Add up everything you bought or made to sell, across every app, for each tax year.
| Seller | Vinted | eBay | Etsy | Total trading income | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Own things only | £1,200 | £600 | £0 | £0 (own things) | Usually nothing to do |
| Small reseller | £500 | £400 | £0 | £900 | Covered by the £1,000 allowance |
| Two-app reseller | £700 | £600 | £0 | £1,300 | Over £1,000: register |
| Maker and reseller | £300 | £0 | £2,200 | £2,500 | Over £1,000: register |
In the two-app example, neither app has to report the seller if they made fewer than 30 sales on each, but they're still over £1,000 in total and usually need to register.
What to do next
- Not sure if you're trading? Read the badges of trade.
- Over £1,000? Read do I need to register as self-employed.
- Want the full picture for Vinted? Read the Vinted tax rules.