If Vinted has told you to switch to a Pro account, or eBay has asked you to upgrade to a business account, you’re not on your own. It usually happens after a busy run of sales, and the message can sound like you’ve done something wrong. You haven’t, but you do need to act, because the platform can restrict your account if you carry on as you are.

Quick answer: Vinted and eBay ask sellers to switch to a business account when their selling looks like trading: buying items to resell, or making items to sell. It’s the platform’s rule, backed by consumer law, not a demand from HMRC. To switch you’ll usually need to be a sole trader, which means registering with HMRC.

Why have I been told to set up as a business?

The platforms have to treat anyone who is trading as a business, because buyers get stronger legal rights when they buy from a business than from a private person. When a seller’s activity looks like trading, the platform asks them to move to a business account.

eBay’s business seller policy says a seller must register as a business if, for example, “they sell items they have bought to resell” or “they make items in order to sell them”. When eBay UK emailed private sellers asking them to upgrade in 2024, it said it was doing so “to comply with government consumer protection legislation”.

Vinted says its standard accounts can’t be used to sell professionally, “including buying or sourcing items and reselling them at a profit”. If you sell to make a profit, Vinted says “you need to sign up as a Pro seller”.

The trigger is usually your activity: a lot of sales in a short time, many similar items, or items that look like stock rather than things you’ve owned.

What happens if I ignore it?

The platform can stop you selling. Vinted says it may “restrict your account”, and if you break the rules after a warning, it may ban your account permanently. eBay says it may remove listings, issue a warning, restrict your activity or suspend your account.

What if I’m just having a big clear-out?

If you’ve only been selling your own things, such as a wardrobe clear-out, a house move or the children’s outgrown kit, you’re not trading, and you can tell the platform so. Vinted lets you appeal if it has made a mistake.

If you’ve been buying things to sell on, or making things to sell, the platform is probably right. HMRC uses much the same test to decide whether you’re trading for tax purposes, so the two usually go together.

What does a business account involve?

Vinted Pro. A sole trader can register as a Pro seller. Vinted asks for your National Insurance number, a VAT number if you have one, a business address and the documents needed for its identity and business checks. Some sellers report being asked for proof of registration with HMRC, or their latest Self Assessment tax return. You’ll need to withdraw your Vinted balance and have no open orders before you switch, and a Pro badge then shows on your profile. Note that Vinted is for second-hand goods: even Pro sellers can’t sell new items bought specifically to resell.

eBay business account. Business sellers must show full contact details for the business, set a returns policy, tell buyers they have 14 days to cancel, and accept faulty items back within 30 days for a full refund. They can’t charge restocking fees or make buyers pay return postage.

Do I need to register with HMRC?

To be a sole trader, you register with HMRC for Self Assessment. There’s nothing else to sign up to: you don’t need to register a business name or set up a company. HMRC gives you a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), which is your proof of registration. If you register online, it appears in your HMRC online account within 72 hours; by post it takes around 15 days.

The tax rule is separate from the platform’s rule:

  • If your trading income is over £1,000 in a tax year (6 April to 5 April), you must register with HMRC anyway. The deadline is 5 October after the end of the tax year.
  • If it’s under £1,000, the trading allowance means there’s no tax to pay and HMRC doesn’t need to know. But if the platform still wants you on a business account, you can register voluntarily so you have the proof it asks for.
  • From 6 April 2027 the limit rises to £3,000. The October 2026 Budget confirmed the trading allowance increase, so from the 2027/28 tax year the £1,000 figures above become £3,000.

What changes once I’m registered?

  • A tax return every year, due by 31 January after the tax year ends. Any tax is due the same day.
  • You pay tax on profit, not sales. The cost of your stock, postage, packaging and platform fees all come off. If your costs are low, you can deduct the £1,000 trading allowance instead, but not both.
  • Keep your records: what you bought and sold, receipts and the platform’s annual seller report.
  • Making Tax Digital applies from April 2027 if your qualifying income is over £30,000. That means digital records and quarterly updates to HMRC.

What if I’ve been trading for a while already?

If you took more than £1,000 from trading in earlier tax years and didn’t tell HMRC, register now and put the earlier years right. Coming forward before HMRC writes to you generally means lower penalties. If HMRC has already written, see our guide to HMRC letters about online sales.

Talk to us

If Vinted or eBay has told you to set up as a business, call us on 01842 646441. We’ll check whether you’re actually trading and, if you are, register you as a sole trader so you have the proof the platform needs. Then we’ll look after your tax return each year for a fixed monthly fee. You can also send us a message.

If your message was about tax details rather than a business account, see Vinted or eBay asked for your tax details? What it means.

Frequently asked questions

Why has Vinted told me to switch to Vinted Pro?

Vinted asks members to switch to Vinted Pro when their selling looks commercial, for example buying or sourcing items to resell at a profit. Vinted’s standard accounts are for selling personal second-hand items. Members who don’t switch can have their accounts restricted.

Why has eBay asked me to upgrade to a business account?

eBay asks sellers to upgrade when their selling activity suggests they are trading. eBay’s policy says sellers must register as a business if they sell items bought to resell or make items to sell, because buyers have extra consumer rights when buying from a business.

Do I need to be a sole trader to have a Vinted Pro account?

Yes, or a charity or registered company. Vinted Pro in the UK is open to sole traders, charities and registered companies. Sole traders give their National Insurance number, business address and documents for Vinted’s identity checks.

How do I register as a sole trader?

Register for Self Assessment with HMRC online. HMRC then sends a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), which is proof of registration. A sole trader does not need to register a business name or set up a company.

Will I have to pay tax if I switch to a business account?

Not necessarily. Tax is due on trading profit, not on sales, and the first £1,000 of trading income each tax year is covered by the trading allowance (£3,000 from 6 April 2027). Switching account type on Vinted or eBay does not create a tax bill on its own.

What if I only sold my own things?

Selling your own personal possessions is usually not trading. Tell the platform, and appeal if your account has been restricted by mistake. No registration with HMRC is needed for selling personal items.