Do I need to pay tax on my reselling income?
Four quick questions to work out whether HMRC would treat your Vinted, eBay, Depop or Etsy sales as taxable income.
Clearing out your wardrobe on Vinted is treated very differently by HMRC than sourcing stock from charity shops to flip. The rules aren't complicated once you know them — four questions and you'll know where you actually stand.
General information, not personal tax advice. Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax are separate — always check the official guidance for your situation.
Last checked: 16 July 2026. HMRC: income from online platforms · HMRC: CGT on personal possessions
General guidance only — not personalised tax advice. For anything specific, check GOV.UK directly or talk to an accountant.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay tax on Vinted sales?
Occasionally selling your own unwanted possessions won't normally be treated as trading income, so most Vinted wardrobe clear-outs sit outside Income Tax. Different rules can apply if you buy or make items specifically to sell for profit — that's trading, and the £1,000 Trading Allowance rules come in. Capital Gains Tax is a separate consideration and can apply when an individual personal possession, or a qualifying set, sells for more than £6,000. Check GOV.UK for your exact situation.
What is the £1,000 Trading Allowance?
It's an allowance for trading income specifically — not a blanket allowance for everything you sell. If you're trading (buying or making to sell for profit), HMRC lets you earn up to £1,000 gross in a tax year (6 April to 5 April) without registering. Over that threshold you have to declare the trading income and can deduct either the £1,000 allowance or your real expenses. Selling your own personal belongings generally isn't trading income in the first place, so the allowance doesn't apply to it.
The platform said they'll share my data with HMRC — do I owe tax?
Not automatically. Under HMRC's reporting rules, digital platforms share seller data once you cross around 30 sales or roughly £1,700 in a year — but reporting is just information sharing. It doesn't mean you owe tax. If you're selling your own possessions, that's usually outside Income Tax anyway. If you're trading, you'd need to consider the Trading Allowance and Self Assessment regardless of platform reporting.
How does HMRC decide if I'm 'trading'?
HMRC uses the 'badges of trade' — the biggest ones being: did you buy or make the items specifically to sell, how often do you sell, and are you adding value (repairs, restoration). A parent listing outgrown kids' clothes isn't trading. Someone visiting three charity shops a week and listing 20 items to flip almost certainly is. Mixed patterns fall somewhere in between — keep the two apart in your records.
What happens if I go over £1,000 of trading income?
Register for Self Assessment by 5 October after the tax year you crossed the threshold. You file a return by 31 January and pay Income Tax on your profit — not turnover — at your normal rate. Keep receipts for stock, fees, postage and packaging as those come off the taxable profit. This is Income Tax; Capital Gains Tax is a separate calculation with its own rules.