Updated October 2026. Selling a few unwanted clothes on Vinted does not automatically mean you owe tax. The important distinction is whether you are disposing of personal possessions or actually trading.
The short answer
HMRC says you are unlikely to pay tax simply because you sell personal items from your home. If, however, you buy or make goods intending to sell them for profit, you are likely to be trading. If your total gross trading income goes over the £1,000 trading allowance in a tax year, you normally need to tell HMRC.
Wardrobe clear-out or trading?
| Example | Likely issue to consider |
|---|---|
| Selling your old coat for less than you paid | Usually disposal of a personal possession, not trading |
| Selling children’s outgrown clothes | Usually personal possessions |
| Regularly buying charity-shop clothes specifically to resell for profit | Likely trading |
| Making products specifically to sell | Likely trading |
There is no single magic number of Vinted listings that turns you into a trader. HMRC looks at what you are actually doing.
What is the £1,000 trading allowance?
The trading allowance is up to £1,000 a year for eligible trading and miscellaneous income. The key number is gross trading income — income before expenses — and relevant trading activities are considered together rather than giving you £1,000 for each app.
If you are actually trading, use our Side Hustle Tax UK and £1,000 Trading Allowance guide for the fuller explanation and checker.
Does Vinted report sellers to HMRC?
UK digital-platform reporting rules require platforms to collect information and, in specified circumstances, report seller information to HMRC. HMRC’s current guidance says a seller of goods is excluded from reporting where they make fewer than 30 sales and receive less than €2,000 in a calendar year. Both conditions matter for that reporting exclusion.
Crucially, HMRC says being reported by a platform does not automatically mean you owe tax. Platform reporting uses the calendar year, while UK income tax normally uses the tax year from 6 April to 5 April.
Three examples
1. £700 from your family’s old clothes
If these are genuinely your personal possessions rather than stock bought for resale, the fact that £700 entered your Vinted balance does not by itself make it trading income.
2. £900 from clothes bought specifically to resell
This looks much more like trading. Gross eligible trading income of £1,000 or less may fall within the trading allowance, subject to the rules and exceptions.
3. £1,400 Vinted reselling plus £300 from another trade
Do not assume each side hustle receives its own £1,000 allowance. Relevant trading income can need to be considered together. Check your position with HMRC.
Records worth keeping
- Sales and payout records
- Purchase costs for stock if you are trading
- Allowable business expenses and receipts
- Enough information to distinguish personal clear-outs from items bought for resale
- Any annual platform information statement you receive
Where selling technique fits
If you are new to the platform, our How to Sell on Vinted UK guide covers listings, pricing and getting paid, while our Vinted shipping guide covers parcel handling.
Official checks
For your own circumstances, use HMRC’s online-platform income checker and current trading-allowance guidance. Tax treatment can depend on facts not captured by a general article.
This article is general information, not personal tax advice.