How does ebay count completed orders?

[utc9525]

Hello,

Made a sale today. In my app showing year to date I have 29 orders less than the threshold to get caught by the taxman.

I quote here from https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/account/regulatory/sales-reporting/uk-digital-sales-reporting?id=5454

"Your total sales on eBay is equal to or more than £1,740 after deducting fees and

commissions or taxes."

"You complete 30 or more sales transactions on eBay (cancelled transactions are not included in the calculation)"

So why suddenly I get this nice red banner wanting me to fill in my NI number? I am not a business, I am just clearing my house, garage and garden. Selling vintage planters left by my previous house owner, neighbours' Ikea cabinet, furniture I no longer have space for, plants too big in pot in a too crowded garden, etc. That said I do not make £1740 total sale.

Then I realise oh yeah, I had one naughty newbie buyer who changed her mind and wanted refund prior to collection. So that is 1 cancelled order, that makes it 30 orders and I seem to hit my threshold!

Went to chat with customer service only to be told they have a system to detect linked account. Mine seems to be linked to a business running £42k. I am so happy I didn't know somehow I have a £42k business!

So it is the case of what marketing says versus what computer actually does. Same as when they said if you have positive feedback despite no delivery confirmation then fund will be available in 2 days. Not that I experienced. Or courier website tracking says delivered but ebay tracking says no.

I can go on and on showing their system bug but hey I am not employed by eBay to do their testing.

[vinylscot]

I have not heard before that eBay are timing their NINO requests to coincide with sellers hitting their 30th sale.

I believe they will be asking all sellers for their NINO at some time, irrespective of the volume of sales, and it's just coincidence that your request has arrived now.

Just because eBay has asked for your NINO doesn't mean you will be liable for any tax, or even that eBay will report your level of activity to HMRC. (Although, in the past, eBay has claimed it had been submitting the info voluntarily for many years for ALL sellers - the difference being that in future they will be legally bound to do so, and the activity will be linked to a NINO.)

Also, if your intention had been to stop at 29, you would obviously have removed the other 9 items you currently have listed, as, even by your own calculations, one more sale would result in your details being submitted to HMRC.

Looking at your sales, it is highly unlikely that HMRC will consider you to be trading. It is unlikely, unless there is something else we can't see, or you change tack in the future, that you will be liable for any tax due arising from these eBay sales.

[letpigsfly · Accepted solution]

I had the same issue this week. Hit 29 orders and got the red banner. Checked back to 1st Jan 2025 and I had one cancelled order which makes it 30. Crafty eBay strikes again including cancelled orders in your order total. 

[utc9525]

No worry, just when I was about to pack up, a buyer made buy it now and collected on the same day. I gave up and surrendered my NI number.

And surprise surprise after complaining about positive feedback to release fund despite no confirmed delivery, just now that fund that supposed to be released on the next 2 days just got released.

Going to withdraw that now and hide it in my future Swiss bank account.