What it looks like
These are the three example rows that come in the sheet. You type the white columns; the blue ones work themselves out.
| Date | Platform | Item | Sale | Postage | Platform fee | Other costs | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/06/2025 | Etsy | Handmade candle | 25.00 | 3.50 | 4.18 | 2.00 | 22.32 |
| 03/06/2025 | Vinted | Used jumper | 12.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 15.00 |
| 10/06/2025 | eBay business | Phone case | 15.00 | 2.99 | 3.12 | 1.00 | 13.87 |
The Etsy fee is 6.5% transaction + 4% + 20p processing + the listing fee + the 0.48% regulatory fee, plus 20% VAT on Etsy's fees, rounded to £4.18. Every fee shows its source and the date it was last checked.
And the Year summary tab for those rows:
| Year summary: 2025/26 | £ |
|---|---|
| Total income (sales + postage charged) | 61.49 |
| Total platform fees | 7.30 |
| Other allowable expenses | 3.00 |
| Net profit | 51.19 |
| £1,000 trading allowance check: "Likely full relief: your total gross income is £1,000 or less this tax year…" | |
£12.99
The spreadsheet (.xlsx), a matching CSV template and a short how-to. One business licence, yours to keep. Updates for 2026/27 are free.
Secure checkout by Polar, our merchant of record. Your receipt email has the download link.
What's inside
- Transactions: 500 ready rows with dropdowns for platform and category. Fees are calculated for Etsy, eBay business and Depop; Vinted and eBay private selling are £0 to the seller.
- Monthly summary: income, fees, costs and net for each month. Pick the tax year in one cell: 2025/26 or 2026/27.
- Year summary: the totals your Self Assessment asks for, the £1,000 trading allowance check in plain English, and a warning if any rows are dated outside the year.
- Fee reference: each platform's fee model, its source and the date it was last checked. Any check older than 90 days is flagged, so you know to confirm it.
- Read me first: five steps, and what the sheet does and doesn't do.
Why keep records now
Since 2024, platforms like Vinted, eBay and Etsy send HMRC details of sellers who sell 30 or more items, or earn about £1,700 (€2,000) or more, in a year (gov.uk). Being reported doesn't mean you owe tax: the rules haven't changed. But if you're trading and your sales are over £1,000 a year, you need to register for Self Assessment (trading allowance). Then you'll want your income and costs in one place before the 31 January deadline.
Only selling your own old things? HMRC says that's usually not trading, so normally there's no tax to pay (Help for Hustles). You probably don't need this sheet. It's for people who buy to resell or make things to sell. Not sure which you are? Our free guides: Do I pay tax on eBay sales? and Do I pay tax on Vinted?
Honest notes
- It's a record-keeping template, not tax advice. It adds up your figures; it doesn't decide whether you're trading or what you owe. For that, check gov.uk or a qualified accountant.
- Tax figures were checked against gov.uk in July 2026. Platform fees are a snapshot, and each shows its last-checked date.
- eBay business fees use the general-category rate (11.9%), and Etsy fees leave out Offsite Ads. The free calculator handles both exactly.
- Months run 1 April to 31 March. HMRC accepts accounts made up to 31 March without splitting off the days to 5 April (HS222).
- Built with AI (Claude) and tested automatically: the workbook is recalculated and checked against 23 tests, including the fee examples above worked by hand.
Questions
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets (File → Import also works). It also opens in Excel, LibreOffice Calc and Apple Numbers.
Which tax year is it for?
You pick: 2025/26 (6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026, whose online return is due 31 January 2027) or 2026/27. The totals only count sales dated in the year you choose.
I sell on a platform that isn't listed.
Choose "Other" and type the platform's fee into the Other costs column. Totals still work.
Do you see my figures?
No. It's a file on your computer or in your own Google Drive. Nothing is sent to us.
What if it's not for me?
Reply to your receipt within 14 days and you'll get a refund (terms).
I'm a bookkeeper with side-hustle clients.
Our free bookkeeper pack helps you chase records and explain tax bills to clients. The licence for this sheet covers one business, so each client should buy their own.