EBay asking for national insurance number

[raik1performance]

Hi everyone, I recently joined for like 1 month and I start selling as a private seller , and now eBay is asking me to provide national insurance number.

"New UK digital sales reporting legislation requires sellers with 30 or more sales, or who have sales exceeding £1740 in a calendar year, to register this information"

[crafty6272]

Wow I admire you at 72 I’m 65and find it hard enough with computers 😂 I’m
a hoarder I think I see nice things and they come home with me but now I
have a house full of stuff none of my family appreciates . They don’t want
any of it so it has to go before my Parkinson’s gets worse 🤷‍♀️ the tax
man still strikes fear into me 👺

[kath3735_wxmjn]

I also car boot as well, gives me something to do but must admit that lumping boxes into and out of a car 4 times is a bit of a pain....   At least no technology needed there though, just very warm clothing.....

[alfifletch27]

Exactly my thinking at this point ) handing over your tax information you might as well say you work for ebay

Sent from my iPhone

[lucy_farmer]

If you have a lot of sales on your account and you *don't* hand over your NINO when asked, you might just as well put up a flag saying 'Investigate ME!'.............

Whereas if you 'do as you're told' (regardless of how irritating it is to submit to nosy govt. rules) you'll just go into the melting pot with millions of other accounts who might possibly get looked at.

Running and trying to hide is not only impossible (they'll have all your details anyway- just takes a few seconds longer for the computer to link them..)  you're asking for them to chase you.

[ett1954]

I wouldn't be too concerned about statements made by eBay on what will be happening.  From day one eBay's announcements have been one of errors,  confusion, ambiguity, and self-incrimination. 

At the end of the day it will be the government / HMRC, and not least the 38 developed economies of the OECD who will determine what will be sent where and when.  The implementation of this was not just to identify tax evasion but to follow illegal money trails linked to criminality across national boundaries.  The reason being that money can be moved globally very easily in today's digital world.  The agreement was that the information was to be shared across all 38 tax authorities by 2025 - I have seen no information to change this and allow specific bodies to pick and choose what they can report and when they can send it other than the allowance given to collate the TINs on existing members.

[vinylscot]

I realise all that, but it's just infuriating that eBay seems incapable of being consistent. It does leave you doubting everything they say.

[ett1954]

"It does leave you doubting everything they say." - I totally agree and that is why it is better to always read from official sources.

A good example being the statement published recently regarding the possible increase in the level at which self assessment registration may be raised to by 2029.   Pure eBay spin - it has no impact on a genuine private seller who is not required to register irrespective of how much they earn selling their belongings.  They have simply used the announcement, which may not even happen 5 years from now, to deflect attention from the real issue which is correct registration for business sellers on the site and eBay's apparent unwillingness to seriously address the issue.  Tax is between the seller and HMRC whilst correct registration is a legal requirement and causes so many issues for both private and correctly registered business sellers.

[xpert888]

I wonder if there is a time limit to supply one's NINO before ebay;'s threat of restrictions come in?  Thanks

[papso22]

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@xpert888 wrote:

I wonder if there is a time limit to supply one's NINO before ebay;'s threat of restrictions come in?  Thanks

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That's hardly something ebay is going to publish and it isn't something we have been told by posters either.

[xpert888]

Thanks but will be useful to know to avoid any penalties....

[tea_and_tortoises]

If you have reached either of the thresholds then eBay has to send your details to HMRC. Of course you can withold your NINO and face restrictions on your account, but eBay will still pass your details on. With your full name, home address and bank account details, HMRC will know who you are. They will know what you earn, if you have any other income from online sales and whether or not you complete a self-assessment. I don't see any point in refusing to give eBay this piece of information.

[ett1954]

Providing eBay with the requested information in a timely manner will avoid any penalties from eBay.  As for penalties from elsewhere, it is now too late now to avoid those if that is your concern.

[crafty6272]

I’ve just put mine in anyway as I have no reason not to tbh but I’m already
at the limit for this year so I won’t be selling on eBay now just in case

[retrotech80]

There is a lot of confusion regarding the reporting period I've seen. Does anyone actually know? 

I don't get how reporting 2025 sales is from jan to December 2025? The tax year is April to April.

Does anyone have any solid source that confirmsthis reporting period exactly? Ebay and oced say the reporting period is jan to December. So I'd say at the next reporting deadline (January 2026) ebay will send jan 2025 to December 2025 report? Not April 2024 to April 2025 data.

Let's also assume I'm a ebay member before 2024 for simplicity sake. God is it all mumbo jumbo lol 

EDIT: Think this was covered on page 7 by sml192, thanks. From the gov website:

"For example, a Platform Operator becomes an RPO with existing Sellers on 1 January 2024, when the reporting rules come into effect. Some of the existing Sellers are identified as Reportable Sellers in the period 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024. Information on those Sellers must be reported by 31 January 2025. Other existing sellers registered on the Platform prior to 1 January 2024 are not identified as being reportable until the period from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025. The information for those Sellers is to be reported by 31 January 2026. Information on new Reportable Sellers signing up to the Platform must always be reported by 31 January following the period in which they registered on the Platform"

That's cool. It just amazes me why the report isn't April to April but fair enough. Explains it. Thanks 

[4_bathrooms]

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@retrotech80 wrote:

That's cool. It just amazes me why the report isn't April to April but fair enough. Explains it. Thanks 

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Most countries who are members of the OECD have tax (fiscal) years that align with calendar years; the OECD's rules are the same for everyone. This is also why the £1,700 figure is approximate as the threshold is defined as €2,000 (currently £1,695 approx).

[c828s-23]

I’m like a few of the posters here - due to the financial environment, I’ve had to start selling my own personal possessions bought as a bit of a hoarder & to hand down to my son, to make ends meet since about 2021.  I sold an old set of Game of Thrones first editions today to pay off a debt (made less than the capital gains tax threshold), I’ve sold old console games & consoles I had  & now I’ve had to provide NINO which I did immediately due to the books themselves being over £1700 in one go. I’ve sold infrequently on here at times when I’ve needed to pay a bill or the car has needed work after MOT/service. I’ve got some Lego up currently as you’ll see & I still have a wardrobe full of bits & bobs, books I’d collected for fun, old sneakers. I guess because I’m a “fretter” I’m maybe unduly worrying & you hear stories sometimes, whether legitimate or not, of the tax man caning easy targets. Thanks to all the sensible posters for the links to further advice etc. 

[k3vyn.w]

yes i read the threads, now you read this...ebay are not my employer and niether is hmrc, and no one elses,  you do not have to submit your details to any one, let alone ebay.

why would you say this cobswollop..ebay are threatening sellers to submit details, they have no right to hold funds..

i used to have 340 items on ebay, i now have 1.. soon as thats sold ebay will not be for me like most people..who are leaving..and good on them..

[papso22]

Just to clarify:

You don't have to submit NI details to ebay, by law, but there are consequences if you don't  and those consequences are contained in the ebay user agreement that you agreed to when you used ebay.

Ebay will still send your sales details to HMRC, but probably red flagged as non compliant. 

There is no need to be rude to other posters.

[lucy_farmer]

'I guess because I’m a “fretter” I’m maybe unduly worrying & you hear stories sometimes,....'

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From what you've written here; stop 'fretting'! 🤗

All your own old stuff, all under the CGT limit..... Yes ebay have to give HMRC your details.

But even if HMRC take a closer look at you (which I'll be bound they *don't* ;  you've sold less than 200 items ) they wouldn't put you in the 'suspicious' pile. 😁

(HMRC's 'closer looks' are to spot people who have sold lots and lots of 'brand new items', multiples of the same items, loads of 'consumable' items, new clothes/shoes etc all in a choice of sizes etc......)

[c828s-23]

Thanks for taking the time to reply with a calming approach 😊