- Since 2023: New law for sales platforms came into effect
- What does the law say?
- who is affected?
- Threatens one back tax payment?
Turn used goods into money. That sounds good. Make it better household budget and also has the effect of decluttering your own apartment. Sustainability is also lived with it. After all since early 2023 applies a new law for these sales platforms. What it says and what it means for sellers.
The new law – what does it mean?
Whether furniture, consumer electronics, household goods, cars or clothes. So far it has been quite easy to store your used items at the various platforms for sale. And depending on the situation, it could also add up to a nice sum if you had a lot to sell. But there have always been certain limits. If you have more than 600 euros Profit in the year, you already had to state this in the income tax return. Up to this amount everything was tax-free, but if you were above that, the entire profit was tax-free taxed. Appendix G – “Income from commercial operations” – applied here. In the case of frequent sellers, it could happen that they were classified as commercial trade, which means that sales or trade tax might also have to be paid. Since early 2023 a new one now applies Law. On November 10, the Bundestag passed a new one obligation to report for Operators of sales platforms on the Internetthe so-called Platform Tax Transparency Act (PStTG), with which an EU directive is implemented. This says that too private sales taxed Need to become.
According to the magazine, platform operators have had to report service and sale transactions by their users to the Federal Central Tax Office since January 1st capital. This applies to professional sellers as well as to private individuals. The Federal Central Office forwards this data to the competent state financial authority, from where it is automatically sent to the respective Tax office be transmitted. Other exemption limits now apply here: 30 sales per year and a maximum of 2000 euros in income. Anything above that must be reported by the platform operators. This also applies to all platform operators within the EU.
At first glance, this sounds very complicated. Does that mean you can no longer sell your private belongings used? Or do you have to pay taxes for everything at once? It is not so. the Stiftung Warentest wrote an extensive paper on this.
The confusion about the law
Admittedly, instead of being simpler, the legal situation seems to be still more complicated become. But basically it’s not about the proceeds that you earn from the sale of your used things. However, you keep selling new item or many articles of the same kind, things look different. Also sales of items with which you have a Profit compared to your purchase price are critical here. Example: You are one of the lucky ones who was able to purchase a PS 5 right after it went on sale. But now you realize that you really don’t want it or don’t need it and sell it for a profit. You are a reseller. Likewise speculative transactions should be better controlled, for example the trade in coins or antiques.
However, there is no need to panic. Although the platforms now have to report the sales if you sell more than 30 items or the proceeds exceed 2000 euros, it is doubtful whether the tax authorities will scrutinize every small seller in the future. One additional payment is not yet due by the way. According to Stiftung Warentest, you should note the following:
- Tax-free private sales: Individual, irregular sales by private individuals are usually tax-free.
- Tax liability: However, think about the taxes if you sell on online platforms such as eBay, eBay classifieds, Vinted, Mobile.de or other trading platforms. As soon as the tax office classifies your trade as commercial, you have to pay tax on your eBay sales, for example.
- Commercial trade: Indications for the tax office are the number of sales, many reviews, complex offer placements, high sales and the time of the sale. The transition from private seller to commercial trade is fluid. For example, if you are planning numerous sales following an inheritance, it may make sense to clarify the tax consequences with a tax expert in advance.
- Duty to inform. Since the beginning of 2023, sales platforms have been obliged to report particularly active sellers to the Federal Central Tax Office. This also applies to private individuals.
- Supporting documents. Make a note of when you sold what and keep all sales receipts for possible queries.
Conclusion
Ebay & Co. are still good opportunities to recycle your used items. Whether the new law makes sense is debatable. And how far it will be used in the end and who exactly has disadvantages from it remains to be seen. By the way: Loud Mercury this law also applies to room agent like Airbnb.
