HMRC Nightmare

huskykiss

OH received letter from HMRC today regarding eBay 22-23 sales. Account used to sell collecton of personal items, alongside items sold for profit - items sold for profit are documented and tax due was paid via my own 22-23 self assessment return. We didn't realise this eBay account was in OH's name... Not sure where to start...

DullGreyGuy

huskykiss said:

OH received letter from HMRC today regarding eBay 22-23 sales. Account used to sell collecton of personal items, alongside items sold for profit - items sold for profit are documented and tax due was paid via my own 22-23 self assessment return. We didn't realise this eBay account was in OH's name... Not sure where to start...

What are your earnings outside of eBay? Roughly equal or very different? 

If its about the same then it'll make little difference who's self assessment it went on and so they may be lenient given you can evidence they were declared. If he's an additional rate payer and you're basic then firstly the taxes will be notably different proportionally but they may also see it as an attempt to falsely crystallise it on the lower tax person. 

GDB2222

Can you evidence which of you was doing the selling? For example, was it all done by you, on your computer?

RFW

Get all the details together and find an accountant to help. I really wouldn't try and deal with this on your own. A small amount to an accountant could possibly save you £000s.

soolin

huskykiss said:

OH received letter from HMRC today regarding eBay 22-23 sales. Account used to sell collecton of personal items, alongside items sold for profit - items sold for profit are documented and tax due was paid via my own 22-23 self assessment return. We didn't realise this eBay account was in OH's name... Not sure where to start...

I suspect yours will be the first of many such similar questions, using family or even friends details when asked to confirm ID when selling online has always been a loose sort of process. It is particularly bad on Vinted where people are often told, on the various groups, that rather than provide their own ID it’s ‘easier’ to just use someone else’s. Unfortunately now that NI numbers are being used when reporting g to HMRC this is going. To catch a lot of people out.

In your case though if it’s always been you selling the hopefully it went into an account in your name, although I worry this might not be the case if the account was verified using OHs bank details. If the money was paid for you then I would send this proof to HMRC  with the explanation that this has been fully reported on your own appropriate tax return. That might be enough but if not find as much proof as you can that this was your small business , perhaps your email account attached to the account and invoices for stock purchased in your name? 

Langerhan

I'm guessing it was this letter? https://www.tax.org.uk/hmrc-one-to-many-letter-online-marketplace-sales

It says to either declare undeclared income, or get in touch with HMRC to tell them why it doesn't have to be declared. I'd suggest doing the latter.