Vinted tax: how to sell on Vinted as a small business

If you’ve got an eye for style and an entrepreneurial spirit, selling on Vinted could be a good way for you to reach your target audience. While there are other apps for selling clothes online, Vinted’s lack of seller fees, features for professional sellers, and large user base make it a popular choice for savvy sellers.

From paying tax on Vinted sales to avoiding scams, keep reading to learn more about:

Vinted Pro for professional sellers
Paying tax on Vinted sales
How to sell on Vinted
Vinted FAQs for small business owners

How does Vinted work for small businesses?

With 16 million users in the UK, Vinted is a great platform if you’re looking to sell vintage or pre-loved clothing to a wider market. And whether you’re selling casually, just starting out, or have found your sales booming, there’s plenty of scaling potential for small business owners.

If you’re looking to sell a large amount of items on Vinted, using it as your business’s main sales platform, there are additional features you can take advantage of to better support your growth.

While you’re able to sell your items on a regular Vinted account, you can opt into Vinted Pro in order to operate as a business on Vinted. But what is Vinted Pro?

Vinted Pro

Vinted Pro is a way of selling on Vinted for registered businesses – whether you’re a sole trader or limited company. With no limits on the amount you can sell, it’s designed specifically for those looking to sell a large quantity of items. Vinted Pro sellers also receive additional ‘bumps’ in order to promote their products on the app’s feed.

The main difference between Vinted Pro and standard accounts is that Vinted Pro sellers are required to offer 14-day returns on their products. This differs from a standard Vinted account, in which items can only be returned under certain conditions.

If you’re a limited company, you’ll need to list your company details, such as your business address, on your page. But sole traders can choose to keep this information private.

And if you’re a larger business you can integrate with Vinted’s API, which offers even more options for catalogue management and your own Vinted account manager.

Vinted tax

So how much can you earn on Vinted before tax? No matter which type of Vinted account you use, the same Vinted tax rules apply.

If your Vinted shop revolves around sourcing and selling pre-loved clothing, you’ll be classed as a trader, and will pay tax on any earrings above the £1,000 tax-free allowance. However, this includes all your self-employed earnings, so if you sell on another platform, this will also count towards your trading allowance.

But if your shop sells only your own clothing at the same price (or less) than what you paid for it, you won’t have to pay any tax on Vinted sales.

Read more: Will your side hustle be taxed?

How to sell on Vinted

Vinted’s user-friendly interface makes it a good sales platform for your small business. You can start listing items by following these steps:

Create an account on either the app or website
Select the sell tab to list your first item
Upload multiple photos of your item (learn how to take better photos)
Include a clear and compelling item description
Make sure you accurately fill out the size, colour, and brand information
Set your price

Once someone’s purchased your item, Vinted will message you with the shipping instructions. You’ll then have five days to post the item – either by courier or through a drop off point. Once the buyer has confirmed they’ve received (and are happy with) the item, the funds will be released into your Vinted account.

If you’ve got the basics down and you’re wondering how to sell more on Vinted, you may also want to consider using other platforms to direct people to your Vinted store. For example, can you share styling videos on TikTok or Instagram? Try to think about your target audience and how you can best appeal to them.

Vinted seller fees

There are no fees when you sell on Vinted. Instead, buyers pay a buyer protection fee to cover these costs, meaning sellers keep the full item price for themselves.

However, you can pay to ‘bump’ an item to display it higher on the app’s feed. Your item is then shown to users searching the relevant criteria – such as its specific size or brand.

Vinted seller protection

Vinted sellers are protected from lost or damaged items as long as they use Vinted’s prepaid shipping labels, with a maximum compensation of £500.

damaged packages will also need to have met Vinted’s packing standards and be confirmed damaged by the shipping company

lost packages will need to be confirmed lost by the shipping company

How to make a bundle on Vinted as a seller

Vinted allows sellers to create ‘sets’ or ‘bundle’ listings. These can include up to five items in each set and can be a good way to stand out on the app. Think about grouping items that complement each other – they could be a similar style of item, make up a full outfit, or belong to a specific trend or aesthetic.

Buyers also benefit from bundles as it helps reduce postage costs.

To create a bundle or set, you’ll need to make sure your item description clearly states it’s a set. The first picture in the listing will need to show all the items in the set (as one image, not as a collage). The other pictures then need to show each individual item. If you add an item to a set, it can’t also have its own individual listing.

Vinted FAQs for small business owners

How does postage work on Vinted?

The cost of shipping is paid for by the buyer. As the seller, you can choose which shipping options you allow in your store. Vinted postage options include:

Evri
InPost
Yodel
DPD
Royal Mail

Once a buyer makes a purchase, they’ll select their chosen shipping option from the choices you’ve given, and you’ll receive a prepaid shipping label generated by Vinted.

Can you get scammed on Vinted as a seller?

Much like other sales platforms, it’s important to be vigilant. Vinted has a secure payment system so be wary of people offering to pay you through another method (such as bank transfer). You should also avoid sharing personal details or opening links from people you don’t know.

Some scammers may pretend to be from Vinted, but legitimate messages from Vinted will always have an authenticity badge next to their username. Vinted has more information on scams and phishing here.

How to sell on Vinted without a printer

When you sell an item on Vinted, you can either print the shipping label or get it printed out for you at your drop off point. Using a digital label or QR code instead of printing off your own shipping labels can be beneficial for sellers, as you’ll never be caught out without ink at the last minute.

Just make sure you check which couriers allow you to print out your label at a drop off point when selecting your postage options.

How old do you have to be to sell on Vinted?

You need to be 18 years old to sell on Vinted. If you’re a young entrepreneur, consider asking a parent or guardian to manage the app for you while you focus your efforts on sourcing products to sell.

How to refund on Vinted as a seller

Occasionally a customer may not be happy with their purchase and you may need to issue a refund. If you’re a Vinted Pro seller, any sales you make have a 14 day returns window.

If you’re a standard seller, the rules are a little different. Buyers can report an issue if they believe your item:

isn’t as described
looks like a counterfeit
didn’t arrive
arrived damaged

If a buyer does request a refund, Vinted recommends you discuss the situation to find a resolution. Your options are generally to:

refund without return – the buyer gets a refund and keeps the item
refund with a return – you refund the buyer once they’ve returned the item to you

Have you found success as a small business owner on Vinted? Share your best tips in the comments below.

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