Do I Need to Declare My Reselling Income?
Answer 4 quick questions to see whether HMRC expects a tax return from you — and, separately, whether eBay, Vinted or Depop will report your sales. The two thresholds are not the same thing.
Figures verified 13 Jul 2026 · gov.uk trading allowance → · gov.uk reporting rules →
Question 1 of 4
The two thresholds resellers mix up
1. The £1,000 trading allowance (owing tax). If you buy or make things in order to sell them, your first £1,000 of gross receipts in a tax year (6 April – 5 April) is tax-free and doesn't need reporting. Go over it and you must tell HMRC — usually by registering for Self Assessment. This is the only threshold that decides whether you owe tax.
2. The platform-reporting threshold (being reported). Separately, digital platforms must send seller details to HMRC once you pass 30 sales or about £1,700 (€2,000) in a calendar year (January – December). This is an information-sharing rule from the OECD — being reported does not mean you owe tax, and staying under it does not mean you don't.
The confusion comes from mixing the two: plenty of people clearing out their wardrobe get reported and owe nothing, while a small-scale flipper under 30 sales can quietly cross the £1,000 allowance and genuinely need to file. The thresholds even run on different clocks — tax year versus calendar year.
And selling your own belongings isn't trading at all: no income tax applies however much you raise, unless a single item fetches over £6,000 (Capital Gains Tax territory).
Common questions
I got a letter saying my platform reported me to HMRC — do I owe tax?
Not necessarily. Platforms must report anyone with 30 or more sales or roughly £1,700 (€2,000) in a calendar year — that's an information-sharing rule, not a tax bill. You only owe tax if you were trading (buying or making things to sell) and your gross trading income passed £1,000 in the tax year.
Do I need to declare selling my own clothes on Vinted?
No. Selling personal possessions you no longer want isn't trading, so income tax doesn't apply no matter how much you sell — though a single item sold for over £6,000 can trigger Capital Gains Tax. Vinted may still report your activity to HMRC if you pass the volume thresholds, but that doesn't create a tax bill.
What counts towards the £1,000 trading allowance?
Your gross receipts — the total you're paid before any fees, postage or the cost of the items — from things you bought or made in order to sell, across all platforms, within the tax year (6 April to 5 April). If that total is more than £1,000 you must tell HMRC, usually by registering for Self Assessment.
What is the 30-item rule?
Since January 2024, digital platforms like eBay, Vinted and Depop must report sellers to HMRC once they pass 30 sales of goods or about £1,700 (€2,000) in a calendar year. It exists so HMRC can cross-check tax returns — it is not a threshold at which tax starts. Tax follows the separate £1,000 trading-allowance test.