HMRC Crackdown on Side Hustles – Truth and Fiction

Nick Making Money events, Tax 2 Comments

As you may have heard, from January 1, 2025, digital platforms like eBay, Etsy and Airbnb will be required to collect additional information from sellers, including number of sales and amount of income generated.

This data will be automatically shared with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) by January 31, 2025, covering the 2024 calendar year. HMRC will then compare this against their records to see if any tax may be due.

This news has caused some consternation on messageboards and social media, with many who have ‘side hustles’ to help pay the bills worried they may be hit by an unexpected tax demand. Some of this concern may be justified, but (thankfully) much of it isn’t.

So today I thought I’d explain what’s actually happening and how you can minimize your tax liability from side hustles and reduce the risk of unwanted attention from the taxman (while staying within the law, of course).

So What’s Happening?

Digital platforms will automatically share seller information with HMRC if a seller has made 30 or more sales a year or earned over €2,000 (approximately £1,700).

The reporting threshold is set in Euro as this is a multi-national initiative by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which aims to tackle tax evasion globally. The new rules apply to various digital platforms, defined as any app, website or software connecting sellers to consumers of goods and services.

It’s important to understand that this is a reporting change and not a change in tax law. If you didn’t have to declare certain earnings or pay tax on them before, that remains the case now. In particular, if you are selling personal possessions you no longer want/need – as opposed to items you bought with a view to selling them for profit – that wouldn’t normally count as trading and no tax would be due.

The other important exemption is that everyone in the UK has an annual trading allowance of £1,000. This means you are allowed to make up to £1,000 (gross) per year from self-employed work including side hustles. If your total annual income by this means is below £1,000, there is no need to declare it to HMRC or pay tax on it (even if you have a separate day job). Note, however, that in the case of online auction trading, that £1,000 is income before any platform fees and other selling costs are deducted.

If your taxable earnings from a side hustle are over £1,000 a year, you will need to notify HMRC via a self-assessment tax return. You will then be required to pay income tax on this, unless your total taxable earnings from all sources are below the personal tax-free allowance (currently £12,570).

Top Tips

As promised, here are some tips to help you negotiate the rules surrounding side hustles, minimize any potential tax liability, and reduce the chances of attracting unwanted attention from HMRC, all while staying within the law.

• Keep careful records of all your business activities. That includes activities that you don’t believe count as trading, e.g. selling your unwanted possessions. You may need this info if you are challenged by HMRC.
• In particular, keep a running record of total sales and number of transactions on platforms such as eBay. If you’re having a clear-out, it won’t be hard to exceed the 30-item or €2,000 limit that will trigger a report to HMRC. As mentioned above, if you’re just selling your old stuff, there shouldn’t be any tax liability. But you might understandably prefer to avoid having to field queries from HMRC about your selling activities.
• It might therefore be a good idea to use a variety of platforms for selling your stuff rather than just one. So instead of just eBay, use other similar sites such as Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Vinted, Craigslist, Ziffit, eBid, and so on. Aim to keep your total sales on any one platform to under 30 and under €2,000 in total.
• If you are selling items you have made yourself (e.g. clothing or jewellery) on websites like Etsy, be aware that this will also usually count as trading and any profits may be taxable. Again you can claim the £1,000 trading allowance, though.
• If you think what you are doing counts as trading, monitor when your gross annual income (or turnover if you prefer) is approaching £1,000. At this point you might prefer to ‘shut up shop’ until the following year. Otherwise you will need to declare your earnings to the taxman and (if required) pay tax on them.
• Be aware that cashback earned through websites such as Quidco and Top Cashback is not taxable. Neither is the cashback paid with certain bank accounts.
• Note also that lottery and competition prizes are not generally taxable in the UK. Neither are gambling wins (not that I recommend this) or any profits made through matched betting.

I hope this article will have clarified the situation for you if you’re pursuing a side hustle or considering doing so. As I said earlier, the tax rules haven’t changed, but with the new reporting regime it’s more important than ever to understand what the tax and trading rules are and ensure you stay within them.

If you have any comments or queries, as always, feel free to leave them below. Please note that I am not a tax professional, however, and cannot answer detailed questions about your personal financial circumstances. As I said in this blog post a while ago, if you need advice with tax matters, in my view a qualified accountant should always be your first port of call.