How profit is worked out
Your profit on each item is:
What the buyer paid you − platform fees − what you paid for the item − postage − packaging
The calculator also shows your margin (profit as a share of the sale) and your return on stock (what each £1 you spent on stock brought back).
Fees on the main UK platforms
Fees change often, so always check the platform's own fee page. At the time of writing (November 2026):
- Vinted: no selling fee on standard sales. The buyer pays Vinted's fee on top. Choose "Other platform" and leave the fees at 0.
- eBay: free for UK private sellers in most categories (cars and other vehicles are different). Business sellers pay fees. For a private sale, choose "Other platform" and leave the fees at 0.
- Etsy: transaction, payment processing, regulatory and listing fees, plus 20% VAT on those fees for UK sellers who aren't VAT-registered. Choose "Etsy (UK seller)" to fill these in. Offsite Ads and Etsy Ads aren't included.
- Depop and others: choose "Other platform" and enter the fee percentage and any fixed fee from their fee page.
Costs people forget
- Postage you pay yourself, and postage you offered free to win the sale.
- Packaging: mailing bags, boxes, tape and labels add up.
- Travel to car boot sales and charity shops, and items that never sell.
- Your time. A £5 profit that takes an hour to source, photograph and post is only £5 an hour.
This calculator shows profit only. It doesn't work out any tax. For questions about tax on selling online, see GOV.UK or speak to an accountant.