Wardrobe clear-out sellers
Worried a report to HMRC means they owe tax on old clothes.
Does Vinted report to HMRC?
Yes — Vinted reports UK seller data to HMRC each year. Whether that means you owe tax depends on whether you are trading, not on the report itself.
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Part of our guide to creator tax guide UK.
Quick answer
Vinted, like other digital platforms, is legally required to report seller data to HMRC annually under rules that started in January 2024. Being reported does not automatically mean you owe tax — that depends on whether you are trading for profit and whether your income passes the separate £1,000 trading allowance. Reporting thresholds (around 30 sales or roughly £1,700) trigger the data share, not a tax bill.
On this page
Contents
Who this is for
Is this you?
Regular Vinted sellers
Buying or sourcing stock specifically to resell for profit.
Sellers near the reporting threshold
Approaching 30 sales or around £1,700 in a tax year.
Anyone who has had a Vinted data request
Confused about what the platform has asked for and why.
Income streams
Everything we handle for you
- Vinted sales
- Depop sales
- eBay sales
- Facebook Marketplace sales
- Etsy sales
Sound familiar?
Problems you face, answered
Yes. Since January 2024, digital platforms operating in the UK, including Vinted, must collect seller information and report it to HMRC annually where a seller passes reporting thresholds, generally around 30 sales or approximately £1,700 in the year. This is a legal reporting obligation on the platform, separate from whether you personally owe any tax.
Not necessarily. HMRC receiving your sales data does not change whether the underlying income is taxable. If you are simply selling your own unwanted belongings, that is not trading and is not taxable, however many items you sell or however much data Vinted shares.
They are two completely separate things and it is easy to conflate them. The reporting threshold (about 30 sales or £1,700) simply tells Vinted when it must send your data to HMRC. The £1,000 trading allowance is a tax-free amount of trading profit you can earn each year before you need to register or pay tax, and it applies regardless of whether a platform reports you.
Typically your name, address, date of birth, tax reference if held, bank account details linked to payouts, and the total number of transactions and amount received during the year — enough for HMRC to match against your Self Assessment records.
How we help
The work we do for you
HMRC platform reporting support
We explain exactly what has been reported and whether it affects you.
Learn moreSide hustle tax support
Working out if your selling counts as trading and what to register for.
Learn moreAccountants for content creators
Ongoing support as reselling grows alongside other income streams.
Learn moreTax explained
Digital platform reporting is an international transparency measure, adopted by the UK from January 2024, requiring online marketplaces such as Vinted, Depop, eBay, Etsy and Airbnb to collect and share information about sellers who pass certain activity thresholds.
The trigger for a platform having to report you is broadly either 30 or more sales transactions, or total payments of roughly £1,700 or more, within the calendar year. Cross either and Vinted is obliged to include you in its annual submission to HMRC, with the first reports covering 2024 sent in early 2025.
It is essential to understand what this threshold is not. It is not a tax-free allowance, it is not the point at which tax becomes due, and it is not specific to how HMRC decides whether you are trading. It is purely the point at which the platform must hand over data.
Separately, HMRC has always applied "badges of trade" tests to decide whether selling activity counts as a trade for tax purposes: how often you sell, whether you bought or made items specifically to resell, whether you improved or altered them, and whether you actively marketed them for profit.
If you are simply clearing out your own wardrobe — items bought for personal use, sold for the same or less than you paid — that is not trading, and reporting by Vinted has no tax consequence for you at all, no matter how many items you list.
If you are trading — buying stock, thrifting to resell, or making items to sell for profit — a separate £1,000 tax-free trading allowance applies to your gross trading income each tax year. Below that, in most cases you do not need to register with HMRC. Above it, you generally must register for Self Assessment by 5 October following the end of the tax year you started trading in.
Once registered, you choose between deducting the £1,000 trading allowance or your actual allowable costs — stock, postage, platform fees, a share of home costs used for photography or storage — whichever produces the lower taxable profit.
Profit from trading is added to your other income and taxed at your usual Income Tax rates — 20% basic rate, 40% higher rate, 45% additional rate — plus Class 4 National Insurance at 6% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above that.
In practice, the platform reporting rules mostly change visibility, not liability. Income that was always taxable if you were trading is now more likely to be cross-checked by HMRC against what you declared, which is why unrepresented gaps between platform data and tax returns increasingly trigger a nudge letter.
If you get a letter or query from HMRC referencing Vinted or another platform, it usually reflects the reporting threshold being crossed, not proof of wrongdoing — the right response is to check your own records calmly rather than assume the worst.
Worked example: reported to HMRC, but no tax owed
- Vinted sales in the year
- 42 items
- Total received
- £1,850
- Nature of items sold
- Own worn clothing, sold below original purchase price
- Reporting threshold crossed?
- Yes — over 30 sales and over £1,700
- Trading for tax purposes?
- No — personal possessions, not bought for resale
- Tax due
- £0 — reporting does not create a tax liability on non-trading sales
Illustrative example, not a client result. Figures are illustrative for 2026/27. Whether you owe tax depends on the nature of the selling, not the reporting threshold.
General information only, based on 2026/27 UK rules. Not personal advice. Speak to us about your circumstances.
Expenses
What Vinted sellers can claim if they are trading
If your Vinted selling counts as trading rather than a wardrobe clear-out, allowable expenses reduce your taxable profit in the normal way. Stock costs, postage and platform fees are all deductible against income, but only once you have established that you are actually running a trade rather than disposing of your own belongings — see our guide on when selling becomes a business for the full test.
Usually claimable
- Cost of stock bought specifically for resale
- Postage, packaging and Vinted bundle fees
- Platform selling and buyer protection fees
- Mileage or travel to source stock
- A reasonable share of home costs used for photography or storage
- Photography props and packaging materials
Usually not claimable
- The original cost of your own unwanted possessions being cleared out, not resold for profit
- Everyday clothing you wear yourself
- Personal items sold alongside genuine stock
- Duplicate claims of both the trading allowance and actual expenses in the same year
Keep purchase records from day one if you are buying to resell — our creator expenses checklist sets out exactly what to track.
How HMRC’s rules apply to content creators
If you are self-employed
Self-employed costs must be incurred wholly and exclusively for your trade. If you use the £1,000 trading allowance, you cannot also deduct actual expenses against that same income. Equipment treatment depends on cash basis or traditional accounting.
If you run a limited company
A limited company deducts costs incurred wholly and exclusively for its business. Equipment may need capital allowances rather than an immediate expense deduction. Personal use or company-paid private costs can create a taxable benefit or director’s loan entry; company ownership is not a blanket deduction.
For separable mixed-use costs, such as a phone bill, claim only the identifiable business proportion and keep evidence. This does not make ordinary clothing or every dual-purpose purchase deductible. A receipt alone does not prove a business purpose: retain the brief, invoice or usage record too.
Costs to review for your work
- Stock bought for resale, packaging and marketplace selling fees
- Business postage, payment processing and product photography costs
- The business share of storage and equipment, subject to the accounting basis
Everyday clothing, ordinary grooming, personal meals, private gaming and fines are generally not deductible. Qualifying costumes or protective clothing and business-travel subsistence have different rules. Client entertaining is generally disallowed. Receiving a product from a brand does not automatically create an expense: record the income treatment separately and deduct only an allowable business cost.
HMRC: self-employed expensesHMRC: business travelHMRC: clothingHMRC: company deductionsHMRC: capital allowancesHMRC: creator income and gifts
Keep records alongside our creator expenses checklist, or discuss your costs with our bookkeeping team.
General UK guidance, not personal advice. The deduction depends on your facts and accounting basis.
General information only, based on 2026/27 UK rules. Not personal advice. Speak to us about your circumstances.
Structure
Sole trader or limited company?
£
Sole trader£46,111
Limited company£46,091
Illustrative estimate only. Uses the published 2026/27 tax configuration. Assumes a single-director company drawing all profit, with no Employment Allowance. Excludes expenses, student loans, pensions, other income, Scottish rates and individual circumstances. Not tax advice.
VAT & MTD
VAT and Making Tax Digital
VAT
Most Vinted sellers stay well under the £90,000 VAT registration threshold, but if your combined trading turnover across platforms approaches this level, VAT registration needs to be reviewed alongside your margins.
Registration threshold: £90,000 · Deregistration: £88,000
General information only, based on 2026/27 UK rules. Not personal advice. Speak to us about your circumstances.
Diary
Key deadlines
5 October
Register for Self Assessment if this is your first year of trading income over £1,000.
31 January
Online return and any tax payment due.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
Qualifying income is total turnover from self-employment and property income before expenses, based on the previous year’s tax return.
- Since 6 April 2026, sole traders and landlords with qualifying income of more than £50,000 must keep digital records and send quarterly updates. If the 2024 to 2025 tax return showed qualifying income of more than £50,000, you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from 6 April 2026.
- Quarterly updates are due by 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May (the 7 May deadline falls in the following tax year).
- The threshold drops to more than £30,000 from 6 April 2027. If the 2025 to 2026 tax return showed qualifying income of more than £30,000, you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from 6 April 2027.
Monthly accounting packages
Accountant packages for content creators
Self-employed or limited company, choose the support that fits how you trade. We review income such as Vinted sales, Depop sales, eBay sales as part of agreeing your scope.
Self-employed accountant packages for content creators
Trading in your own name? Choose support for your personal tax return and, where included, bookkeeping and MTD Income Tax updates.
Up to £25,000: Starter £299, Complete £475 a year. £25,000–£50,000: Starter £499, Complete £599 a year. Above £50,000, fees use the upper limit of your band: Starter 1%, Complete 0.75% (minimum £39.99 + VAT a month). Monthly payments are the annual fee divided by 12, excluding VAT. Starter does not include bookkeeping. Turnover above £1 million is quoted individually.
Self Employed Starter
Turnover: Up to £25,000
For sole trader creators who just need their tax return done properly
£24.92
per month + VAT
£299.00 per year + VAT · Bookkeeping not included
- Your annual Self Assessment tax return, prepared and filed
- All your creator income streams covered: AdSense, brand deals, affiliates, tips and subscriptions
- Gifted products, PR trips and freebies declared correctly
- Allowable expense review so you claim everything you are entitled to
- Deadline reminders ahead of every filing and payment date
- Free basic tax advice by email through the year*
Self Employed Complete
Turnover: Up to £25,000
For full-time self-employed creators who want their books kept for them
£39.58
per month + VAT
£475.00 per year + VAT · Bookkeeping included
- Everything in Self Employed Starter
- Monthly bookkeeping across YouTube, TikTok, brand deal and affiliate income
- Making Tax Digital for Income Tax quarterly updates, where required
- Payment on account planning so January never surprises you
- Sole trader vs limited company review as your income grows
- Quarterly check-in on your numbers and tax position
Limited company accountant packages for content creators
Trading through a company? Choose support for company accounts, Corporation Tax and the director services included below.
Essential/Compliance
For creators who have just set up a limited company
From £45.83
per month + VAT
- Year-end company accounts for your creator business
- Corporation Tax return (CT600) and tax computation
- Confirmation statement preparation and filing support (excludes the Companies House filing fee)
- One director Self Assessment return (salary and dividends from the same company)
- Deadline reminders ahead of every filing date
- Free basic tax advice by email through the year*
Core/Complete
For full-time creators with brand deals and platform income
From £62.50
per month + VAT
- Everything in Essential/Compliance
- Monthly bookkeeping across YouTube, TikTok, brand deal and affiliate income
- Quarterly Making Tax Digital VAT returns
- Director payroll with RTI filing and pension submissions
- Quarterly review call on your numbers and tax position
- Gifted items, overseas payouts and payment platform reconciliation
Growth
For creator businesses with editors, managers or a team
From £75.00
per month + VAT
- Everything in Core/Complete
- Payroll for up to five team members, such as editors or assistants
Starting fees exclude VAT. Your turnover, records and agreed work determine the final quote. *Basic tax advice is free; technical work is quoted separately. MTD support applies where required.
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Book your free creator tax callPublished by influencers.accountants
Last updated: 2026-09-21
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Yes, since January 2024 Vinted must report UK seller data to HMRC annually once a seller passes reporting thresholds, typically around 30 sales or £1,700.
Not automatically. It only matters if your selling counts as trading for profit rather than clearing out your own belongings.
No. It is purely the trigger for Vinted to report your data to HMRC — it is separate from the £1,000 trading allowance, which is about tax, not reporting.
A tax-free amount of gross trading income you can earn each year before you generally need to register with HMRC, if you are trading at all.
Generally no. Selling your own unwanted items, even regularly, is not trading and is not taxable, regardless of platform reporting.
That is trading. If your gross trading income exceeds £1,000 in a tax year, you generally need to register for Self Assessment and declare it.
Not automatically, but HMRC does cross-check platform data against tax returns, and mismatches can prompt a nudge letter.
Stay calm, gather your records, and work out whether you were trading before responding — see our guide on HMRC nudge letters.
No, only sellers who pass the reporting thresholds in a given year are included in the platform's report to HMRC.
Only if you are trading and your gross income exceeds £1,000 a year; register by 5 October following the tax year concerned.
Yes, if you choose actual expenses over the trading allowance, stock costs, postage and fees are generally deductible.
Purchase receipts for stock, sale prices, postage costs and platform fee statements, from the point you start trading.
No, the same reporting rules and trading tests apply across all UK digital selling platforms.
Keep reading
Related pages
Accountants for Vinted, eBay and Depop sellers
Clearing out a wardrobe is not a business. Buying stock to flip, running a proper shop front, or selling in real volume on Vinted, eBay or Depop usually is. We help resellers work out which side of that line they are on, and put things right if HMRC has already been in touch.
Vinted, Depop and eBay: when selling becomes a business
Clearing your wardrobe is not a business. Buying to resell for profit usually is. Here is where the line sits and what it means for tax.
Trading allowance: the £1,000 tax-free rule explained
A £1,000-a-year tax-free allowance exists for side income and small creator earnings — here is exactly how it works and when it is worth using.
HMRC and influencers: letters, checks and platform data
A nudge letter is not a tax bill or an investigation — it is a prompt to check your records. Here is exactly what to do next, step by step.
Accountant for content creators
Video, audio, streaming and newsletters. If you make things people watch, read or listen to, we turn the payouts into clean accounts and a filed return.
How much can you sell on eBay before paying tax?
There is no single "eBay limit" for tax — the £1,000 trading allowance covers profit if you are trading, while eBay separately reports data to HMRC once you pass around 30 sales or £1,700.
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