Vinted asking for info e.g. NI number

[SWnewstart]

Over the past 18 months I've been having massive clear out and sold lots on Vinted (not just clothing). Just had a message saying that as I'd sold xxx amount with sales of xxxxx they needed some further details, one of which was my NI number. Is this usual do you think or is it leading to my "income" from Vinted being taxed?

Yes, if you have sold over £1000 in a year, probably tax year, you will need to declare it on a tax return.

Actually search says Vinted have to report to HMRC if you have made over 30 sales or £1700 - might not lead to any more tax, but might have to be declared.

I wouldn't worry too much about it and have a bit of a read up.

I just had the same. I've sold quite a bit and when I got the NI request I figured I might have to pay some tax. I will stop selling if they ask for what I consider to be quite a lot of money.

Yes, why is income in quotation marks?

This. I am curious too.

As long as you are declaring to tax man and also claiming back all your expenses for selling - all of which you need records for - you will be fine! Watch the lady on YouTube for advice about this as it’s quite complex and hmrc can see all your bank records anyway now so better to declare and claim back everything you can than wait and be sent a letter from them!

Edit to remove double post.

If you are selling your own clothes for the same or less than you paid for them, you don’t need to declare anything or pay anything or worry about this. Here is a clear explanation from the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/information-for-online-sellers

edit to remove double post

You won’t need to declare anything if you’ve sold £1000 worth of goods. As the post above states, this message is about Vinted giving info to HMRC.

For the average seller clearing out (and therefore selling at a loss), no profit is being made so HMRC are not interested. It’s the people selling as a business and at a profit that they are interested in.

Selling 30 items from Marks for a fiver (when they originally cost you £30) does not mean you suddenly need to declare it on a tax return. There is so much misinformation about this and it gets people unduly scared.

I have sold a lot but if anyone comes a-knocking it is obvious they are all my clothes as everything I’ve sold is in the same size (or dh’s).

Looking at some listings you can see they’re re-selling as the stuff is all sorts. (Actually I always avoid these as the things invariably smell musty.) So £1000+ achieved in this way would raise a flag if HMRC looked.

Yes you need to provide

they are ensuring you adhere with your tax obligations to HMRC as a seller using their platform!

Well if it is “leading to your income being taxed” that is because you need to pay tax on it. So… what’s the problem?

That was the old rules - law has changed significantly recently so suggest you read up on it. Now you need to prove that it was your old stuff and also keep records of postage costs, packing costs, selling fees etc just like every business does but unfortunately now hmrc are coming after EVERYONE who sells stuff online and it’s our responsibility to prove what we’ve spent rather than just say it’s not applicable

Ive had this today. Ive sold over £2k since I joined Vinted 3 years ago.
Its all own my stuff from a size 8 to an 18 because I was a size 18 and lost loads of weight v quickly when my husband got his mistress up the duff and I discovered thier 3 year affair. Im now a 14 to 16 again and happy, so selling all sizes and household goods after I had to move out.
I sell 99% of my stuff very cheaply but the odd Radley bag (that my ex bought me) have sold for £20/£30 a go.
Ive been off work since June and only earnt £4.5k this tax year so don't think I'll have to pay.
I start work again January and if i reach my £12k tax free limit in earnings before April 26 and have to pay tax on what I've sold I'll be a little miffed as its genuinely my crap im selling but even paying tax on it, im still raising my funds more than bunging it in the bin or local clothes bank.
I buy all my plastic pouches.on Amazon and walk to my local yodel shop so my expenses ..will be the plastic pouches I guess which I will have a record of.

Thanks to everyone for responses. I put "income" in inverted commas as, being retired with just state pension, it's hard to think of my Vinted sales (most items seling under £10) as an income in the way my salaried work was. Technically it is income of course, but selling secondhand items this way doesn't feel like a business. Anyway, I will read up more on the rules and appreciate knowing others have received the same notification from Vinted.

No one is saying it’s a business

but it is income
and therefore could be liable for tax 🤷‍♀️

Untrue.

Not if you are clearing out your old things. Only if you are trading - buying and selling for profit.

On the gov website there's a quiz you can do to see if you need to pay tax on items you have sold. It also says about online selling platforms collecting information on you.

Vinted also have a number of case studies on the HMRC section of their app. Essentially the average person selling to clear out, even if their Vinted income hits £5000, will not need to pay tax. It’s all about the profit and as long your profit is below £3000 you are fine.

The law has not changed. There’s a helpful gov.uk website above that explains it.

If you’re not trading, then there’s no reporting or tax to pay. Selling your own old clothes is not trading, no matter what value you do. Buying clothes to resell is likely trading and Vinted shares the data so HMRC can identify these people. Putting forward that they’re all used clothes in the same size, and having a few photos of you wearing some of them would be more than enough to show you’re not trading and there’s nothing further to do tax wise.

If you have records where you’ve bought the same items on Vinted that you’ve then sold hundreds of times that again would be different.

I had this the other day, OP.

There's a lot of misinformation about.

Vinted and hmrc are quite clear on this:
https://www.vinted.co.uk/help/4/1149-hmrc-requirements-what-you-need-to-know

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-need-to-tell-hmrc-about-your-income-from-online-platforms

In the situation you describe, no tax is due. You do not need to declare it on your tax return.
Vinted are fulfilling their legal obligations by collecting and passing this info to HRMC, there is no legal obligation for you to do anything.

You don't need to declare if selling your old clothes etc

Just supply your NI number.

It isn’t automatic. There is a due process and the FIN is requested. But they really have to suspect you before going down that route. Although there is automatic sharing of some information which probably gives enough to request full details.