Free checker · checked 14 October 2026
UK side-hustle tax checker
eBay, Vinted, Etsy, Airbnb and other platforms now send HMRC your sales every January. Being reported doesn't mean you owe tax. Answer a few questions to see where you stand.
"Tell HMRC first" pack
A step plan for your situation, a sales-and-expenses worksheet (CSV), and a short, polite reply to an HMRC "nudge" letter, filled in from your answers above.
The rules in plain English
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When does a platform report me? | Goods: if you had 30 or more sales, or more than €2,000 (about £1,700), in the calendar year, on that platform. Services and rentals: from the first pound. |
| Is selling my old clothes taxable? | No, not if you sell your own used things for less than you paid. That isn't trading. Capital Gains Tax only applies to a single item sold for over £6,000 at a gain. |
| What is trading? | Buying things to resell, or making things to sell, or selling services. |
| Is there a tax-free amount? | Yes. The £1,000 trading allowance covers gross trading income each tax year (6 April to 5 April). Rental income has a separate £1,000 property allowance, or £7,500 Rent a Room relief for a room in your own home. |
| I'm over £1,000. Now what? | Register for Self Assessment, then deduct either £1,000 or your actual expenses, whichever is higher. |
Deadlines for 2025/26
- 5 October 2026: register for Self Assessment. If you missed it, register now. If you file and pay by 31 January 2027, the failure-to-notify penalty is generally nil.
- 31 January 2027: file your online return and pay.
- Earlier years: use HMRC's Digital Disclosure Service. Telling HMRC before it contacts you (unprompted) means lower minimum penalties than after a letter (prompted).
What HMRC knows
For 2025, HMRC received data on 3,988,892 sellers, worth £54.8 billion (1,466,171 sellers for 2024). In February 2026 HMRC said it had not yet acted on the data. Letters are expected. Most will be "one-to-many" nudge letters asking you to check your tax position, not a demand.
Sources: Tax Adviser magazine on platform reporting and HMRC scrutiny; UK Tax Drag on HMRC platform reporting; Which? on tax from Vinted and eBay; HMRC guidance on the trading and property allowances; 2026/27 rates (personal allowance £12,570, basic rate 20%, Class 4 NI 6%). Checked 14 Oct 2026. This is general information, not tax advice. Your tax depends on your other income; ask an accountant if you're unsure.