eBay just keeps getting weirder

[Happy Jack]

We're getting in touch to let you know about the UK digital sales reporting law. This law requires marketplaces like eBay to collect and report seller information if you meet one of these thresholds: 30 or more sales, or sales exceeding £1740 in a calendar year.

 

Since you've reached this threshold, please update your account by providing your National Insurance number.

[Beedster]

3 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

We're getting in touch to let you know about the UK digital sales reporting law. This law requires marketplaces like eBay to collect and report seller information if you meet one of these thresholds: 30 or more sales, or sales exceeding £1740 in a calendar year.

 

Since you've reached this threshold, please update your account by providing your National Insurance number.

That’s not eBay that’s HMRC, I’ve had my account suspended because I didn’t provide the data. I’m sure it’s probably OK and a sign of the times but I’m not really wanting to find ebay sales factored into my taxable income so thought I’d wait a while and see how the dust settles

[tauzero]

This is HMRC's sudden obsession with "side hustles", as they want to scrape a bit more income from the average person on the street/Clapham omnibus rather than Reeves introduce a wealth tax or bring CGT in line with income tax or do anything significant to get more money from the very rich.

[Geek99]

It’s easier to get eBay to collect tax for them on people selling second hand goods bought from taxed-income than go after the very rich. 
selling 1000 of new stuff in a year is a legitimate target, but only when you also tax wealthy people 

 

[tegs07]

1 hour ago, Geek99 said:

It’s easier to get eBay to collect tax for them on people selling second hand goods bought from taxed-income than go after the very rich. 
selling 1000 of new stuff in a year is a legitimate target, but only when you also tax wealthy people 

 

Agreed. Full tax scavenging mode. Just picking the meat from the bones rather than the fat. The real question being why do so many people need a side hustle just to get by?

[franzbassist]

My reading of this is if you're just selling stuff you already own to clear it out then it's not subject to tax.  Persuading HMRC of that may be a different matter, of course...

[Beedster]

3 hours ago, franzbassist said:

My reading of this is if you're just selling stuff you already own to clear it out then it's not subject to tax.  Persuading HMRC of that may be a different matter, of course...

….which is why I’m going to wait and see, I don’t relish defending an HMRC demand for income tax on ebay sales that are in most cases a used item sold for significantly less than I paid for it new. Also eBay can be pretty brutal to sellers, and while it seems ludicrous to suggest it now, I wouldn’t bet against a future scenario in which they withhold or reclaim money that HMRC believes it’s owed….

[LukeFRC]

A long time ago I used to work for a business making t-shirts and selling them on eBay - the problem was that while we would pay our VAT and taxes and national insurance and run everything above board we were constantly being undercut by companies that would fire up, copy all our designs, flog them cheaper and then disappear - the only way you could do this is either slave labour, or avoid VAT by legal and non-legal means. 

Cracking down on this, and the likes small parcels of Chinese fast fashion avoiding taxes/import etc is really important unless we want to see a massive hollowing out of our society... So there is the likelyhood this might be rubbish for some hobbiests who flip lots of high value gear and don't keep receipts - but I kinda think the long term this is a good thing. It will protect jobs. 

Plus it's the data the HMRC are after for trends, going after Beedster who sold two Bitsas, or Dawn who chucked her cheating husband out and sold off all his precious fishing rods is hardly going to be cost effective... the guy flipping 4 cars a month, or the t shirt business turning over £1M+ a year and avoiding all taxes might be worthwhile their time... 

[Geek99]

On 14/12/2025 at 17:15, franzbassist said:

My reading of this is if you're just selling stuff you already own to clear it out then it's not subject to tax.  Persuading HMRC of that may be a different matter, of course...

It can’t be that hard to gather a rolling total per user per annum of value of items sold where condition = new (ie x) and x > 1000£

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Geek99 said:

It can’t be that hard to gather a rolling total per user per annum of value of items sold where condition = new (ie x) and x > 1000£

Yes, this is most certainly not a data capture exercise it is 100% aimed at revenue generation

[LukeFRC]

18 minutes ago, Beedster said:

Yes, this is most certainly not a data capture exercise it is 100% aimed at revenue generation

Or 100% aimed at people currently avoiding tax on income … 

 

Depending on your point of view.  

[Beedster]

7 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

Or 100% aimed at people currently avoiding tax on income … 

 

Depending on your point of view.  

They’ll come after Basschat next 🤔

[LukeFRC]

49 minutes ago, Beedster said:

They’ll come after Basschat next 🤔

but 99% of people here aren't running the business.
I get where you're coming from though, there is the risk that this move could end up with hobbyists in the crossfire, or at that price anyone selling a secondhand car or posh push bike would be reportable.
buying secondhand stuff I don't have receipts for how much I paid or anything - but the taxman would have to show that you were selling your bitsas for profit, not that you're selling lots of nice bitsas - and the reality is if you set your music playing up as a self employed side hustle the costs of storage, strings, insurance, new pedals, depreciation etc would soon offset any potential profits you might be making.

[NancyJohnson]

Earn it, pay tax on it.  Buy it, pay tax on it.  Sell it, pay tax on it.  Die, pay tax.  It's all about handing over to government. 

 

It's just a matter of time until banknotes are carrying tracking chips, because HMRC know they're unable to keep check on cash sales.  Governing, regulating, managing.  Thankfully I'll be dead by then.

 

That's it in a nutshell, isn't it?

 

 

[tegs07]

Just now, NancyJohnson said:

Earn it, pay tax on it.  Buy it, pay tax on it.  Sell it, pay tax on it.  Die, pay tax.  It's all about handing over to government. 

 

It's just a matter of time until banknotes are carrying tracking chips, because HMRC know they're unable to keep check on cash sales.  Governing, regulating, managing.  Thankfully I'll be dead by then.

 

That's it in a nutshell, isn't it?

 

 

Banknotes will be replaced by Crypto and blockchain in the next 5 years and yes a blockchain ledger is totally traceable.

[Happy Jack]

1 hour ago, tegs07 said:

Banknotes will be replaced by Crypto and blockchain in the next 5 years and yes a blockchain ledger is totally traceable.

 

I am SO looking forward to the Ten Items Or Less checkout at Sainsburys in an era of blockchain for everything ...

[tegs07]

1 hour ago, Happy Jack said:

 

I am SO looking forward to the Ten Items Or Less checkout at Sainsburys in an era of blockchain for everything ...

suspect things like apple pay will be able to cope…. or any credit or debit card linked to an underlying wallet populated with whatever stable coin, tokenised deposit variant/s are adopted for use.

Edited just now by tegs07