VAT on private sales wothin the UK

[jilly181]

Can anyone tell me why I have to pay VAT on private sales within the UK?  I am a private seller and as far as I am aware we are not liable for VAT on secondhand items. Why do E-bay apply this tax to all sales?  Jill

[pixiesen2012 · Accepted solution]

everyone pays VAT

ebay are charging VAT on the fees, not the items

they've always charged this

they have just changed how it is shown.

[jilly181 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for that I understand now.

[61stephenuk]

Are you talking about the VAT on your seller fees invoice?

eBay now show the VAT element on your invoices separately,it is not an additional charge.

[jilly181]

Thanks for that but I still don't understand why I have to pay VAT on private sales. Has this always been the case?

[red_magpie]

Your question is not clear. VAT is not charged on items sold by private sellers. In any case, it isn't the seller who's charged VAT, it's the buyer.

Are you perhaps talking about VAT being charged on items you have bought?

It's possible that this will answer yuor question: https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/paying-items/paying-tax-ebay-purchases?id=4771&st=12&pos=3&query=...

[jilly181]

I am talking about VAT being charged on things I have sold even though they are second-hand and I am a private seller only selling within the UK.