Do you pay tax on selling Pokémon cards? (UK)
The short version: selling off your own collection is usually fine; buying cards to sell them on for profit is trading, and trading is taxable once you pass the allowance. Here's where the line sits and what you actually have to do.
Hobby or trading?
HMRC looks at the "badges of trade", chiefly, are you buying with the intention of selling on at a profit, how often you sell, and whether you're doing it in an organised, business-like way. Clearing out cards you collected years ago leans towards a hobby. Buying collections and job lots to break down and flip is trading, even if it started as a hobby. Most people reading this, sellers who turned a love of the hobby into income, are trading.
The £1,000 trading allowance
Everyone gets a £1,000 tax-free trading allowance. If your total gross selling income for the tax year is £1,000 or less, you generally don't need to tell HMRC. Crucially this is measured on gross income, not profit: the money that comes in before you subtract what you paid for cards, fees and postage. Sell £1,100 of cards and you've passed the threshold even if your actual profit was small.
When you must register for Self Assessment
Once your gross trading income goes over £1,000, you need to register for Self Assessment and report it. You then choose whichever is better: deduct the flat £1,000 allowance, or deduct your actual costs (what you paid for stock, eBay fees, postage, packaging). For most resellers with real costs, deducting actual expenses beats the flat £1,000, which is exactly why clean records matter.
What's changing from 2027/28
HMRC has confirmed the reporting threshold for trading income will rise to £3,000 from the 2027/28 tax year. That doesn't change the £1,000 allowance itself, income over £1,000 is still taxable, but people earning between £1,000 and £3,000 will be able to report through a simpler route instead of a full Self Assessment return.
eBay now shares data with HMRC
Under digital platform reporting rules, marketplaces like eBay and Vinted report seller information to HMRC once you pass roughly 30 sales or about £1,700 in a year, with data submitted each January for the previous year. This is not a new tax: the rules on what's taxable haven't changed, but it does mean HMRC sees your numbers, so it pays to have your own in order.
One-off high-value cards
Selling a single high-value card from a personal collection (rather than as part of a trade) can fall under capital gains rules for personal possessions rather than income tax. The rules there are different and have their own thresholds, so check GOV.UK's guidance on selling possessions or ask an accountant if you're sitting on a big single sale.
Keep records from day one
Whatever your level, keep what you paid for each card or lot, what it sold for, and the eBay fees and postage on every order. If you ever need to report, that's the whole job done; if HMRC ever asks, you can show your working. The eBay fees guide covers the deductible costs to track.
Curio records cost, fees and real net profit on every card as you go, so your numbers are ready if you ever have to report, a core part of running a card-selling business.
FAQ
- Do I have to pay tax on selling Pokémon cards in the UK?
- If you're clearing out your own collection and your gross income stays under £1,000 a year, usually not. If you buy cards to sell them on for profit, that's trading, and profits are taxable once your gross trading income passes the £1,000 trading allowance.
- What is the £1,000 trading allowance?
- It's a tax-free allowance on gross trading income. If your total selling income is £1,000 or less in the tax year you generally don't need to tell HMRC. Above £1,000 you must report it via Self Assessment, though you can still deduct the £1,000 instead of your actual costs if that's better.
- Does eBay report my sales to HMRC?
- Yes. Under digital platform reporting rules, platforms like eBay and Vinted report seller data to HMRC once you pass roughly 30 sales or about £1,700 in a year. It isn't a new tax, it just means HMRC sees the same numbers you do.
Last updated August 2026