Do I need to register to HMRC as a business, or pay tax?

soolin

RFW wrote: »

The one I received was definitely via Ebay as it contained details that only Ebay had for the business name, which is why there was no record at HMRC. It's quite a few years ago and as far as I know they've got more searches in progress and ways of filtering out any possibles.

I think most of mine were 'reports' due to the way I was involved with these people in the first place.

There was someone on the community boards only a few months back moaning that HMRC were on his back yet he was only selling as a part time hobby, and every one knew that selling as a hobby was not taxable.

Flyonthewall

belfast88 wrote: »

Changing to a business account doesn't seem to be compulsory, nor does it seem to offer me any advantages. I still use my eBay account as a mixed personal/business account (buying things for personal use, selling things from personal use), so I won't be changing (unless it is compulsory or offers lots of advantages).

Anyway, I've done an online registration as a sole trader. Seems simple enough so far. One of the advantages of online sales is that all your records are doubly recorded automatically on both eBay and PP..

[FONT=&quot]Listings, items and the law[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This section is a brief introduction to the most important rules and regulations relating to the goods you intend to sell and the information you're legally obliged to give to people when you advertise those goods for sale (for example on eBay).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]You should tell eBay if you're operating as a business[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]You should register as an eBay business if you:[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]sell items that you have bought to resell[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]make items yourself and sell them, intending to make a profit[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]are a Trading Assistant[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]buy items for your business[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (April 2008) makes it an offence in the UK for a business to falsely represent itself as a private individual. So if you are misleading potential buyers into thinking that you are a private individual when you are in fact a business seller (ie: by not registering as a business seller with eBay), you will be breaking the law.[/FONT]

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/business.html

You may want to rethink a business account.

theonlywayisup

belfast88 wrote: »

Changing to a business account doesn't seem to be compulsory, nor does it seem to offer me any advantages. I still use my eBay account as a mixed personal/business account (buying things for personal use, selling things from personal use), so I won't be changing (unless it is compulsory or offers lots of advantages).




Anyway, I've done an online registration as a sole trader. Seems simple enough so far. One of the advantages of online sales is that all your records are doubly recorded automatically on both eBay and PP..

Register it as a business account and open another account for private use, perhaps another for buying for the business.