Do you need to register as self-employed to sell on eBay or Vinted?

When you need to register

Selling things you own and no longer want isn't trading, so it doesn't count. Buying things to sell on at a profit, or making things to sell, is. If you're not sure which side you're on, start with do you have to pay tax on selling online.

Once you're trading, the line is £1,000. That's the trading allowance, and it's measured on your sales for the tax year (6 April to 5 April) before taking off any costs. At £1,000 or under you don't need to tell HMRC. Over it, you need to register for Self Assessment.

How to register

1. Use HMRC's register for Self Assessment service on gov.uk and follow its questions.
2. HMRC posts you a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), a 10-digit number, usually around 15 days after you register. It takes longer if you live overseas.
3. Keep that number safe. You need it to file your tax return, and it's on your HMRC letters and in your personal tax account if you lose it.

The deadline is 5 October after the end of the tax year you went over £1,000. For the year that ended on 5 April 2026, that's 5 October 2026. Registering late can mean a penalty.

You don't need to form a company or pick a business name to be a sole trader. Registering for Self Assessment as self-employed is the whole of it.

What you sign up for

Once registered, three things become yours to do: keep records of what you buy and sell, file a tax return each year by 31 January, and pay any Income Tax and National Insurance due by the same date. The tax return walkthrough covers the filing.

How much tax you'll pay

You pay tax on your profit: sales minus allowable expenses (or minus the £1,000 allowance, if that's bigger). Your profit is added to any other income you have, like a job, and taxed together. For 2026 to 2027 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland:

• The first £12,570 of income is tax-free (the Personal Allowance).
• 20% on income from £12,571 to £50,270.
• 40% from £50,271 to £125,140, and 45% above that.

Scotland has its own bands, so check gov.uk if you live there.

If you have a job that already uses your Personal Allowance, your reselling profit is taxed from the first pound, usually at 20%. Put some aside as you go.

National Insurance

Sole traders pay Class 4 National Insurance on profits over £12,570: 6% up to £50,270 and 2% above that. It's worked out and paid through your tax return, not separately.

Class 2 National Insurance is no longer charged. If your profits are £7,105 or more, Class 2 is treated as paid, which protects your State Pension record for that year. Below that, you can choose to pay it voluntarily, at £3.65 a week, to keep the year counting.

Where STC fits in

The hard part of being registered is the records. STC keeps them as you go: what each item cost, where it came from, what it sold for, and the fees and postage. The Tax screen shows your sales for the tax year, so you can see the £1,000 line coming rather than finding out afterwards.