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"

[moonlight-rhapsody]

"As for other online platforms, when I last checked 'ebid' have not asked for NI Numbers"

All digital selling platforms like ebid, ebay, Vinted, Airbnb etc are required to provide sellers' data to HMRC if the data meets the threshold.  However, digital selling platforms are not required to provide the data to HMRC until 31 January 2025, for the calendar year 2024, so ebid has another 5+ months to ensure that it obtains National Insurance data from sellers who meet the threshold.

It is unlikely that ebid, Vinted etc will fail to provide the data in time as the penalties for not doing so include:

• an initial penalty of up to £5,000 and a continuing penalty of up to £600 per day for not reporting by the 31 January reporting deadline
• a penalty of up to £100 for each inaccurate, incomplete, or unverified seller’s record

[garrand9ad]

That's about it. I run a very small war games figures painting business. Well it's not a money spinner. But pays the bills. Just 😂. So this doesn't bother me at all. Everything connected with it goes down on my self-assessment and is submitted . I suppose for those who have another job this might mean a little extra tax to pay. But as the threshold you can earn before paying tax is over 12,000.

[xpert888]

Pensioners need to include their pension as part of their income...thus
pushing into the tax threshold sometimes.



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[sml192]

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@moonlight-rhapsody wrote:

"As for other online platforms, when I last checked 'ebid' have not asked for NI Numbers"

All digital selling platforms like ebid, ebay, Vinted, Airbnb etc are required to provide sellers' data to HMRC if the data meets the threshold.  However, digital selling platforms are not required to provide the data to HMRC until 31 January 2025, for the calendar year 2024, so ebid has another 5+ months to ensure that it obtains National Insurance data from sellers who meet the threshold.

---

That isn't correct.  For sellers registered before 1st January 2024 Platform Operators have been given an extension until the end of this year to obtain Tax Identification Numbers but they are only required to report the sales data for the 2025 calendar year and don't need to report the sales data for 2024.  The extension did not, however, apply to any new sellers joining the platform in 2024, so for those sellers the platform would have been required to obtain Tax Identification Numbers by the end of last year and then report the sales data for the 2024 calendar year by 31st January of this year. 

[jonatjonatjonat]

Theres a counter to that, but in all honesty, it’s too hot to have the usual argument on here.

just not worth the effort.

[garrand9ad]

You can counter as much as you want. But I know self-assessment very well. This is just the government out for more money through those using side lines  to get more money in. Especially in these hard times.

It's all about taxing the heck out of the population. Thank god I live in northern Ireland.

[papso22]

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@garrand9ad wrote:

You can counter as much as you want. But I know self-assessment very well. This is just the government out for more money through those using side lines  to get more money in. Especially in these hard times.

It's all about taxing the heck out of the population. Thank god I live in northern Ireland.

---

Going by previous posts I think the counterpoint being made was about businesses on business accounts not having to deal with Simple Delivery or the buyer protection fee, which I accept would be a bit off topic for the title of this thread. 

in addition, businesses, such as those making things to sell, are breaking consumer law, denying ebay their rightful fees and misleading customers. 

I assume that since you know self assessment very well, you are dealing with that and have nothing to fear from the reports to HMRC. 

[garrand9ad]

No nothing at all to fear.

[garrand9ad]

Besides. I don't use eBay as part of my business. It's useless for that purpose. I know a few people who do the same job as me and it's a very slow place to sell on infact very slow, I list my own items I don't use anymore to sell on. I don't need a business account because I don't list enough items. That comes from eBay themselves. But anything that I sell as part of my business is noted by me and put down on my return. It's not much. 90% of my work are commissions that have absolutely nothing to do with eBay.

Saying that combined I really don't earn that much money. Just enough to pay the bills and that's all. My wife is the major earner. Not me.

[lucy_farmer]

'I don't need a business account because I don't list enough items. That comes from eBay themselves.'

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Unfortunately, on this subject (as well as lots of others!) ebay don't know what they're talking about.

The American ebay mothership doesn't have a clue about UK legislation and business rules : there's very little difference between private and business accounts in the USA, and ebay UK appear to wish it was the same on this side of the pond!

And 90% of ebay Customer services are based in countries like the Philippines, so they don't know UK selling rules either. And they have a bad habit of simply telling you what you want to hear, to get you off the phone  quickly, so they can meet their 'calls answered as fast as possible' targets.

(If you're really lucky you may get to speak to somebody in Ireland- but even they're not in the UK so can't be expected to know UK selling laws....)

You obviously know what you are doing as regards HMRC, and yes, HMRC will be happy with you.  They don't actually care how or where you earn money as long as you pay any taxes due on it!  And it's not up to them to decide what sort of account you have on ebay- they don't care, it's none of their biz 😁

In the UK, the responsibility of who is or isn't a buisness in the online selling world, is UK Trading Standards.

And they say you are a business- tiny amount of sales, items or income notwithstanding.

Trading standard's rules are ; If you buy, make or grow things to sell (or provide services) online, then you are a business.

[garrand9ad]

I stopped buying items to paint and sell on eBay ages ago. I was loosing time and money. eBay is not 

[garrand9ad]

It's been called flea bay now.

[garrand9ad]

Well I stopped selling a lot of figures for wargaming on eBay because they just didn't get anything decent. For a 20mm high metal WW2 figure it costs 85p. To then get it painted and a squad of 10 well painted gets 15.00. when you need £38.00 which is standard. I get that without eBay. So I no longer sell them here. It's got now a bad reputation for shoddy items.

That are really worn and badly painted. I was actually selling at a real loss. So I stopped. I still sell some items but I stop listing for several months. One item I have on is nearly a year old now another 8 months old. And people yap know about business accounts. Not for me. They are okay for shops selling on old stock cheaper .

[garrand9ad]

If you have nothing to hide why worry. I have been sending tax returns for 30years and retirement is approaching.

It's really for those who are trying to go under the radar.

[xpert888]

Wondering if you have any tips when filling in returns/self-assessments?
thanks



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[garrand9ad]

Take your time and HMRC are always ready to help.

I now only fill in what is called a short return because my earnings are way under a certain amount.

You will need to add in expenses. HMRC has guides on these. I did have a accountant but now I fill it out myself. But getting advice from a accountant is always a good idea.

[corgisole]

Straight off the UK Government web page:-

To prevent identity fraud, do not share your National Insurance number with anyone who does not need it.

These organisations may need to know what your number is:

• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• your employer

[ett1954]

From 1 January 2024, digital platforms and online marketplaces in the UK, such as eBay, are required to comply with the UK digital sales reporting legislation.

Straight off the UK Government web page:-

Information you must give

Digital platform operators will ask you for certain details.

If you’re an individual seller, they’ll ask for your:

• full name
• address where you normally live
• date of birth
• tax identification number (National Insurance number if you live in the UK)

For clarity you if you wish to check:  Selling goods or services on a digital platform - GOV.UK

[sml192]

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@corgisole wrote:

Straight off the UK Government web page:-

To prevent identity fraud, do not share your National Insurance number with anyone who does not need it.

These organisations may need to know what your number is:

• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• your employer

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I see that you have conveniently left off the rest of the organisations on that list, that may need to know your NI number. One of those is 'authorised financial service providers' which despite the somewhat misleading description provided actually includes any organisation registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.   Ebay is registered with the FCA and is, therefore, an authorised financial service provider.  

'These organisations may need to know what your number is:

• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• your employer
• the Department for Work and Pensions (which includes Jobcentre Plus and the Pension, Disability and Carers Service), if you claim state benefits, or in Northern Ireland the Department for Social Development
• your local council, if you claim Housing Benefit, or the Northern Ireland Housing Executive
• Electoral Registration Officers (to check your identity when you register to vote)
• the Student Loans Company, if you apply for a student loan
• your pension provider if you have a personal or stakeholder pension
• your Individual Savings Account (ISA) provider, if you open an ISA
• authorised financial service providers who help you buy and sell investments like shares, bonds and derivatives - you can check if your provider is authorised
• Veterans UK'

[gjalp]

If you are filling an online self assessment, HMRC has little information thingys you can click which tells you what they are asking for/included plus they have examples. If, like me, you work from home, HMRC tells you how you can work out deductions for things like utilities for example. I calculate based on rooms in my house and hours I have worked in one room. I do this using one of HMRCs own formulas so its easy to explain if needed. I keep a record each year of the formula and calculation.

However, if you are really stuck, HMRC have their own youtube channel which delves into everything you need to know. In addition to this, you can sign up to their webinars on various things such as expenses, travel, capital gains, record keeping, the list is large. Ive always used their resources since self employment is my only income.