Ebay asking for my Nat Ins Number

[lights-camera-actionuk]

I have had a e mail for E Bay asking for my national Insurance number so i can contiunue to sell on e bay

 I am a registered business and have been for over 20 years

 I am VAT registered and have been for over 15 years with my VAT number oin my  e bay account

I pay an accountant to do my accounts of my sales on ebay  every 3 month and now this 

I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT GIVING MY NAT INSURANCE NUMBER TO E BAY, and there is no mention of it being safe   wit E Bay   im furious

[rosiemac333]

You make a good point, but why is ebay complying with what the government asks them to do? Why don’t they just refuse to be involved with government issues/business. They are not an arm of the state. 

[parsley2003]

Maybe but i gave mine because of the threats to restrict my account and they were holding money for days. Nothing short of blackmail really. 

[lights-camera-actionuk]

Who is complaing about paying tax ? im certaily not E bay have every mortal bloody detail they need from me apart from my blood  and now they want my Personal Nat ins number,  those who sell privatley and dont pay are the problem

[lights-camera-actionuk]

yes your correct i pay my taxes and vat  via my accountant vat every 3 months ,tax twice a year  HMRC are clamping down on private sellers, ive always been told not to give my NAT INs number to anyone  but when you get a threatening e mail saying your account  may be suspended from e bay because you have not updated your details its extremly annoying ,    sometimes e bay forget just who is the customer 

[sml192]

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@rosiemac333 wrote:

You make a good point, but why is ebay complying with what the government asks them to do? Why don’t they just refuse to be involved with government issues/business. They are not an arm of the state. 

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Ebay UK is a UK registered company (Ebay Commerce UK Ltd) so they are legally required to comply with all UK laws/legislation, either that or cease trading. 

[shopping-ferret]

Ebay may seem to be a law unto themselves, but they are certainly not exempt from laws of the land and if they don't comply, they will be breaking the law and be unable to operate a platform in the UK, plus face hefty fines.  They have a big legal team who will also already have looked into all of this. 

So many of you are taking this personally.  ALL the selling platforms are having to do this - Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, Vinted, Etsy.  It even does not exclude car boot sales - although that is near impossible to monitor.  The law is the law - Ebay cannot refuse to comply.  They also will keep your data secure.  They are not selling it on or abusing it!  They MUST collect this date to pass on to HMRC and probably not even be allowed to store it.

If  you really don't want to comply then you won't be able to sell online - anywhere.  Nobody is being picked on or singled out.  But it is taking time to contact everyone.

Some people are outraged because they realise their online sales activity will be revealed to HMRC - people who have been claiming means-tested benefits or avoiding paying tax or for whatever reason trying to conceal how much they are gaining from trading.   So if you go over the limits, are reported and then investigated by HMRC, unless you can convincingly argue these are your own items and not obtained in order to sell on at a profit, then you will have to face the consequences.  In time it will settle down and people will adjust by either converting to a business account, limiting what they sell as a private seller - or leaving seller platforms for good.

[lights-camera-actionuk]

Yes I understand all that HOWEVER  its the way E Bay talk to us  as though we are in the wrong , im NOT in the wrong, ive been a e bay business seller for over 25 years    a vat registered nbusienss for over 15 , i pay my taxes e bay have all my details my vat number etc etc etc  dont preach to me "! get on to those who dont pay tax 

[shopping-ferret]

There you go again - taking it personally!!  Ebay are sending the emails out to everyone who sell over a certain figure or over a certain quantity.  They have been instructed to do this.  Yes, it is not nice to get the emails, I agree, but nobody is getting accused or singled out.   Ebay did advise everyone this was going to happen.  They did not say it excluded registered business sellers or VAT registered sellers.  They are following instructions.

My personal gripe is I don't get their system as to who they are contacting up to now, when there are loads of private sellers still out there clearly and flagrantly trading.  But then again, Ebay have no idea who of these are declaring their income to HMRC.

[its-a-small-world]

I had no live listings when I opened a business account on  eBay , but the nuisance calls started within 20 minutes, that’s my concern over data handling, in 2009 my private eBay account was hacked. It’s a gamble and it shouldn’t be . 

[papso22]

They will be contacting all accounts that breach the thresholds and did not have to provide their NINO last year,  but I doubt that includes any analysis by ebay as to whether the private accounts have the right status. 

If I am right, that's a lost opportunity and many of  those private accounts will continue to trade illegally. 

[jckl1957]

If you give a fake National Insurance Number, Ebay will probably close your account in any case.

[supermac74]

Nah it's EBAY doing this. They have witheld my funds until I comply. 

[supermac74]

O YES THEY ARE

[papso22]

Yes ebay are doing it, but that's because they are legally required to collect your NI number when they need to report your sales and freezing funds is a way to make you comply.

[minihamilton]

You don’t have any obligation to do so.  It would require a change of law.  EBay is basically a huge grift nowadays.  The way it charges export duty is completely unconstitutional.  I’ve been by a seller since 2001.  I’m now stopping. 

[lucy_farmer]

'it would require a change of law.'

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There has been a change of law.

The UK, along with all the other 38(?) countries of the OECD are cracking down on online money-laundering.

This means that all the details of your online trading  will now be sent to financial authorities ; in the UK's case that means HMRC.

This is for every online money making platform. Ebay, AirB+B, Etsy, Vinted, Uber.... etc. etc.

Much as I loath ebay now (as a private seller) after all their dreadful changes to the rules, even I can't lay the blame for the NINO rules at their door. In fact (knowing ebay's laxness in following national rules about businesses selling on private accounts for example)  I'm fairly sure that if ebay could ignore these rules, they would....

[shopping-ferret]

I don't get why you're afraid of complying? Nobody WANTS to do this but we have no choice. You think Ebay want to do this? They're losing customers because the paranoid and the cheaters are leaving!!

Either comply or stop selling online. That's your own choice. 

[atlantis-myshop]

I apologise if I offend anyone with this message, but... I can no longer stand reading comments like these. I have noticed that people who raise their issues or express different opinions often face offensive comments on this forum, such as being called 'paranoid' and other insulting terms (which you deem meaningless). You, who actively write on the forum, can you not maintain a respectful and civil tone in discussions with others? People come here seeking help or opinions, not to be ridiculed or chastised. Also, the opinions you have about someone personally are just your private views. If you choose to participate, you should focus on the topic being discussed rather than judging others. The forum should be a place for mutual support, not discouraging people from sharing their views.

[shopping-ferret]

If the cap fits...

This is a BUSINESS SELLER discussion.  The great majority of the people 'seeking help or opinions' who join this particular discussion are not even business sellers - well not officially.  They are private sellers who for years, even decades, have had the luxury of trading illegally and without the responsibility of reporting their profits (where applicable) to the authorities.  THESE mostly cheating private sellers are 'paranoid', because they fear not only exposure and consequences, but that Ebay will abuse DP laws.  Or they are fearful ALL online marketplaces must now law report by law, sales values and quantity over a threshold and as such are threatening to leave Ebay in their droves - or even rapidly removing from view all their listings!!  I am not happy to disclose my contact details and now my NI number - but then again, I have nothing to hide.  It is the new normal.

Many sellers come here for advice only to learn if they can confidently and without consequence ignore Ebay's demand/s and be able to continue trading (incognito to HMRC).   Repeatedly, they fail to read previous responses to the same questions.  Many refuse to accept this is the law and are blaming 'greedy' Ebay.   So in some cases, they are in denial and so you can add to my hurty remarks, in many cases, the adjective ignorant.

I stand by what I say.  I have been on this board for a while and followed this thread.  As a genuine business seller, I make several replies/comments.  I have seen all the other comments and can confidently categorise the kind of sellers I am calling out.  There are others here, too, who would agree with me.  Why are these private sellers coming here for advice?  They only have to Google the new laws!!  Ebay also have them advertised and we have all received notifications.   Plenty of members here are offering factual and detailed advice - but still sellers keep complaining about how unfair Ebay is and choose to ignore the helpful responses that don't fit with their expectations and wishes.

It is surely telling how many private sellers asking advice have hidden or removed their listings.  What does that say?  They are afraid and rather than comply with the law, ignorantly blame Ebay or hide/leave.  That is paranoia - or fear to attempt at evading detection, therefore knowing they have been cheating the system - even though Ebay have permitted them to get away with it for decades.  We all have the responsibility to pay due taxes and we all know this - whether we like it or not.  I suspect a great number here are trading whilst claiming means-tested benefits!

Whilst many of us do come here for advice, to join in chats or to air grievances - what is the point in asking for advice about something that is out of everyone's hands and is now the law?  The answers will not change to suit you and there are no easy loopholes.   Just be grateful for the number of years the fake private sellers have had a free ride!!  I did not come across a single distraught private seller who complained when Ebay removed seller fees... and I am sure if the government said that all those who voluntarily submitted their NI numbers would get a financial boost... the complaints and need for advice would be negligible. 

I do not mean to offend anyone - I am just being blunt and stating the obvious.

[houseoftheyuccas]

Well said--good riddance to all the tax cheaters on Ebay!--I sell records and music full time-been registered as a business since 2003. For every seller like me on Ebay or Discos there are 10 unregistered businesses. They outbid me at auctions because they can operate without paying tax.