20% VAT on eBay UK Silver Sales

[Shinus73]

Over the last two weeks I’ve noticed an increasing number of silver bullion and junk silver coin items on eBay UK, from UK based sellers, are now subject to an additional 20% VAT.

I’ve been buying and selling silver coins on eBay since 2010 and I’ve never seen it before. 

I’m hoping it’s a temporary glitch due to a dodgy listing template or something, but suspect not. Basically, very bad news for anybody selling.

[Arganto]

Are these sellers registered traders/businesses or private individuals?

[sixgun]

i hadn't noticed this before but yes quite a few of the listings say 20% VAT will apply. 
Now this should be the case if a seller had had a turnover of more than £85 000 in the year and was registered for VAT.
It would not matter if they were businesses or private sellers - if they don't have enough turnover there is no obligation to register. People and companies don't usually registered unless they have to.
i don't know but i would be surprised if all the VAT charging sellers had needed to register so i wonder if Ebay is getting involved somewhere.

Selling platforms can charge VAT on behalf of a seller - they take away some of your VAT paperwork. Looking at some of the 20% VAT sales they don't look like sellers who would go over £85000. This is odd. Another reason not to bother with Ebay. 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by sixgun

[BullionBuyerUK]

I hadn't noticed this either, but a quick look around and I found quite a few listing with VAT to be added on.

But I did stumble across this on one listing 

Hopefully that explains it.

[DrDave]

I've got one particular item that justs add 20% to the price and even the postage!

The listing is from a template that everything else is listed with, so i can't see a reason why. I guess theres a word somewhere in my listing that triggers it?

Hopefully it'll get sorted

 

[Shinus73]

7 hours ago, sixgun said:

i hadn't noticed this before but yes quite a few of the listings say 20% VAT will apply. 
Now this should be the case if a seller had had a turnover of more than £85 000 in the year and was registered for VAT.
It would not matter if they were businesses or private sellers - if they don't have enough turnover there is no obligation to register. People and companies don't usually registered unless they have to.
i don't know but i would be surprised if all the VAT charging sellers had needed to register so i wonder if Ebay is getting involved somewhere.

Selling platforms can charge VAT on behalf of a seller - they take away some of your VAT paperwork. Looking at some of the 20% VAT sales they don't look like sellers who would go over £85000. This is odd. Another reason not to bother with Ebay. 

 

I think you're right that this is an eBay policy / error.

They appear to have decided that silver coins should have 20% VAT added regardless.

Hopefully, as @BullionBuyerUKsuggests, they may be in the process of correcting it.

[Shinus73]

1 hour ago, DrDave said:

I've got one particular item that justs add 20% to the price and even the postage!

The listing is from a template that everything else is listed with, so i can't see a reason why. I guess theres a word somewhere in my listing that triggers it?

Hopefully it'll get sorted

 

I'm curious to see what happens next time I list something - it seems entirely random at the moment.

[AppleZippoandMetronome]

Hopefully it is just a glitch that gets resolved quikcly. The problem with ebay is they're constantly meddling with things behind the scenes instead of just letting people carry on with something that works. Its a pain in the arse for those of us who sell on there and often creates confusion like this for buyers.

[SidS]

I gave up selling on eBay when they moved from PayPal onto direct link to your bank account.

They've certainly made things more difficult for sellers.

[LawrenceChard]

2 hours ago, SidS said:

I gave up selling on eBay when they moved from PayPal onto direct link to your bank account.

They've certainly made things more difficult for sellers.

It reminds me of one of those word games where you change one word into another, one letter at a time, like:

Change

EBAY

into 

c**p

or possibly a "solve the code" game with similar results.

😎

[Mobius]

Best I could do...

EBAY
ABAY (The state of being defenceless against one's enemies)
ARAY (war god worshipped by the pre-Christian Armenians)
CRAY (Supercomputer/Lobster thing)
C**P

Mobius

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Mobius
Added a Lobster

[bluffer]

noticed that a few times on the main search listings but on the individual coin ones it doesnt mention the VAT.

 

[Arganto]

Was speaking with my brother about this yesterday, it seems it's happening in various other categories also.