25-10-2025 1:59 PM
Ebay are asking for my National insurance number, as i only sell my own things thats been in my posession for years and nowhere near the 6k . Ive been on the gov site and found this: -
(You’re clearing out your attic and decide to sell your unwanted items using online marketplaces. None of the items you sell are worth more than £6,000.
It’s unlikely that you’ll need to tell us about this income or pay any tax, no matter how many items you sell.)
So ebay you wont be getting my National insurace number.
25-10-2025 2:05 PM
Just so you know. EBay will hold your payouts until you now do (other seller has said they eventually got money after about 4 months)
all of this nothing to do with £6,000 (which is in relation to capital gains tax)
it’s a requirement under digital sales reporting to HMRC for all marketplaces to provide NI number once a seller hits 30 orders OR £1,750 in sales in a year.
you can choose not to give your number but again eBay will hold any payouts.
25-10-2025 2:07 PM
It's HMRC requiring this From eBay not the other way around.
If you wish to keep on selling you need to provide it to eBay , for them to provide it to HMRC.
As you say, if you're just clearing out your attic with used items no need to pay tax, but HMRC still require your NI number.
13-11-2025 8:26 PM - edited 13-11-2025 8:28 PM
Might be a daft question but wont HMRC have all our NI numbers anyway, most of us would have been in paid/self employment or whatever so surely its not beyond the wit of HMRC's great computer to link these up for tax purposes if Ebay cant supply it?
13-11-2025 8:36 PM
House moves, name changes could all muddy the water there.
but if they can get the source to provide the info, all it needs is an xlookup (though hopefully something better than excel is in use)
26-11-2025 12:54 PM
I think some people are confused with this issue. Yes you may only sell a few bits and bobs and not likely to go over any limits, but the issue is that eBay and the likes are asking for you NI No before they even know if you have reached the limit. They are just making it easy for themselves. I think they have decided "let's assume every seller is a trader, get their NI No, we can pass that onto HMRC, job done".
No that is not what should happen. They know how many items we sell (30 per annum being a ridiculously small amount by the way!), and how much money we make so, at the point they discover a seller has made £1740, they could ask for the NI No then which would be passed to HMRC. The onus is on eBay to give HMRC the info, not us!
I have spoken to HMRC to tell them what eBay's letter says (I also have JustPark harassing me!) and their comment was "No they shouldn't be doing that, you need to keep that information safe".
So, I won't be handing over my details, however many letters or messages I get! Hope others agree.
26-11-2025 1:07 PM
They only ask for the NI number IF you hit one of the thresholds - not before.
I have spoken to HMRC to tell them what eBay's letter says (I also have JustPark harassing me!) and their comment was "No they shouldn't be doing that, you need to keep that information safe"
As for that - a few others have said the same. Its odd that HMRC don't know the information on their own website.
26-11-2025 1:13 PM
But my records tell me I have not hit those thresholds
26-11-2025 3:07 PM - edited 26-11-2025 3:08 PM
@mar7779 wrote:But my records tell me I have not hit those thresholds
The eBay guidance doesn't make it terribly clear but the thresholds only relate to the reporting of sales information for the reportable period. A seller reaching either of the thresholds during the reportable period becomes a 'Reportable seller'.
Due diligence procedures (i.e. the collection and verification of required information on sellers including tax identification numbers), on the other hand, have to be performed as a minimum on all 'Active sellers' for each reportable period.
'Active sellers' are defined as those who provide any relevant services or sell any goods on the Platform during the reportable period.
https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/international-exchange-of-information/ieim902220
Reporting Platform Operators (RPOs) must carry out due diligence procedures to collect and verify information about ‘Sellers’. A Seller is defined in the model rules as a Platform user who is registered on the Platform at any time during the Reportable Period for the provision of relevant services or for the sale of goods (see 901600). This applies regardless of whether the Seller registered on the Platform as an individual, a company or a partnership.
Due diligence procedures must be carried out in relation to both individual Sellers and Entity Sellers such as companies that are registered on the Platform.
RPOs do not have to carry out due diligence on ‘Excluded Sellers’ (see 901630). Only Entity Sellers can be ‘Excluded Sellers’ in relation to the provision of relevant services. However, both individual and Entity Sellers can be ‘Excluded Sellers’ in relation to the sale of goods. RPOs will have to determine which of their Sellers are excluded and hence not subject to due diligence procedures (see 902510).
Optionally, RPOs can elect to only carry out due diligence procedures on ‘Active Sellers’ (see 902530). A Seller is active if they provide any relevant services or sell any goods on the Platform, or are paid or credited in relation to any relevant services or the sale of goods provided via the Platform, during the Reportable Period.
Where a property being rented out on a Platform is jointly owned, the RPO only has to carry out due diligence on the Seller who is registered on the Platform. The RPO does not have to undertake further investigations to find out if someone else has an interest in the property, or is in fact partially entitled to the rental income from the property.
https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/international-exchange-of-information/ieim902230
Due diligence procedures must be carried out by 31 December of the relevant Reportable Period. The rules do not specify when these procedures should be undertaken so it is up to Reporting Platform Operators (RPOs) to decide whether to carry them out as part of any initial onboarding process or at some later stage during the Reportable Period. HMRC anticipates that in practice Platform operators will normally find it easiest to collect information from Sellers at onboarding, as part of the registration process, rather than trying to collect the information at a later date.
26-11-2025 3:53 PM
What I would like to know is why are these figures/limits/thresholds relevant to the calendar year?
If HMRC want to know, surely it should be for the tax year?
26-11-2025 4:00 PM
It's because the agreement for all of this is at international level from the OECD. As all countries will likely have different tax years - there's a need to standardise. A calendar year was the agreement I guess.
Best to also ask HMRC - because its their information ebay are working from
Digital platform operators in the UK will report your details and your income from selling goods or services on their platform to HMRC. They need to collect this information yearly and send to HMRC by the following January.
For example, information collected about you between 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 will be reported to HMRC by 31 January 2025.
Your details will not be reported if you:
HMRC will share your information with your country’s tax authority if you live in another country that follows these rules.
26-11-2025 5:13 PM
@jonatjonatjonat wrote:
They only ask for the NI number IF you hit one of the thresholds - not before.
I have spoken to HMRC to tell them what eBay's letter says (I also have JustPark harassing me!) and their comment was "No they shouldn't be doing that, you need to keep that information safe"
As for that - a few others have said the same. Its odd that HMRC don't know the information on their own website.
I suspect that the people asking the questions are not making it clear why ebay are asking for the number.