Trading Allowance Calculator
Enter your gross sales for the 2026/27 tax year and see instantly whether you're over the £1,000 trading allowance — and, if you are, whether claiming your actual expenses beats it.
Figures verified 13 Jul 2026 · gov.uk trading allowance →
Enter Your Numbers
Everything you were paid for things you bought or made to sell — all platforms combined, before any fees or postage. The tax year runs 6 April to 5 April.
What the items cost you, plus postage and any fees. Used to compare deducting real expenses against the flat allowance.
Enter your gross sales to see where you stand
Track this against the thresholds all year — free
FlipLedger adds up your gross income across eBay, Vinted, Depop and Facebook Marketplace as you sell, so you know the moment you cross the allowance — not next January.
Sign Up FreeWhat counts as trading income
The allowance tests your gross receipts from trading — everything you're paid for things you bought or made in order to sell, across all platforms combined, before any fees, postage or item costs come off. Selling your own belongings you no longer want isn't trading and doesn't count towards the £1,000.
The allowance is on your gross sales, not your profit: £1,200 of sales with £900 of costs is still over the line. This is the single most common mistake resellers make.
What the trading allowance is NOT
Not per-platform. It's one £1,000 allowance across everything you sell — eBay, Vinted, Depop and Facebook Marketplace all pool together.
Not profit-based. It counts what buyers paid you, before fees and before what the stock cost you.
Not the platform-reporting threshold. The 30-sale / ~£1,700 rule decides whether platforms report you to HMRC — a different test, on a calendar-year clock, that says nothing about whether you owe tax. Not sure which side of each line you're on? Try the declare-income checker →
The can't-deduct-both trap
Over the line, you deduct either the flat £1,000 allowance or your actual allowable expenses — never both. If your costs are under £1,000, the allowance leaves you a smaller taxable profit with no receipts to itemise; over £1,000, claiming real expenses wins. Enter your costs above and the calculator shows both routes side by side.
Common questions
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 combined, 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.
Is the £1,000 allowance per platform?
No — it's one allowance covering your total gross trading income across every platform combined. £600 on eBay plus £500 on Vinted puts you over the line, even though neither platform alone does.
Can I claim the trading allowance and my expenses?
No. Once you're over £1,000 you choose one route: deduct the flat £1,000 allowance, or deduct your actual allowable expenses — never both. The allowance is better when your costs are under £1,000; itemising expenses is better when they're over.
Is the trading allowance the same as the 30-sale reporting threshold?
No. The £1,000 trading allowance decides whether you owe tax and runs on the tax year. The platform-reporting rule (30 sales or about £1,700/€2,000) decides whether platforms send your details to HMRC and runs on the calendar year. They're different tests on different clocks — being reported does not mean you owe tax.