---
title: "UK Side Hustle Tax Checker: eBay, Vinted, Etsy"
description: "Free UK checker for eBay, Vinted, Etsy, Depop and Airbnb sellers. See whether the platform reports you to HMRC, whether you probably owe tax, which £1,000 allowance applies, and the deadlines."
url: https://importdutycalc.com/uk-side-hustle-tax
---

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.

Where did you sell? (tick all)

eBay

Vinted

Etsy

Amazon

Depop

Airbnb

Fiverr

Other

What did you sell? (tick all)

My own used things

Things I bought to resell

Things I made

Services

Renting a room or property

Number of sales last calendar year (2025)

Total received (£)

Of that, from my own used things (£)

Roughly what I paid for those things (£)

Of that, from renting (£)

Costs for the side hustle (stock, materials, fees, postage) (£)

Your other income this tax year (job, pension...)

## "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.

Your name

National Insurance number (optional)

Your address

Reference on HMRC's letter (if you have one)

## 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](https://www.taxadvisermagazine.com/article/online-platform-reporting-increased-hmrc-scrutiny); [UK Tax Drag on HMRC platform reporting](https://uktaxdrag.co.uk/hmrc-platform-reporting-online-selling); [Which? on tax from Vinted and eBay](https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/do-you-owe-tax-on-income-from-vinted-or-ebay-aRm0c2a1v8WM); 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.