As the Government gears up towards its November Budget, eBay UK is stepping up its work advocating for small businesses and entrepreneurs. This week, eBay launched a campaign to treble the Trading Allowance from £1,000 to £3,000.
eBay are joined by a cross-industry coalition of marketplaces like Vinted, Etsy, and Depop, as well as business groups including the Federation of Small Businesses, techUK, and Enterprise Nation, all signing a letter to the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
The coalition say that the existing £1,000 threshold is designed to provide limited tax relief to individuals who generate income through small-scale trading or freelance work. However, they point out that the allowance has remained static since its introduction in 2017 with inflation and rising costs eroding its value.
They add that raising the threshold to £3,000 would send a strong signal that the UK is serious about fostering a modern entrepreneurial culture and ‘making work pay’. Side hustles — often the first step toward fully fledged start-ups — offer a crucial on-ramp to business creation, especially for underrepresented groups, career returners, students, and those seeking to supplement income during periods of part-time work or economic transition.
Signatories to the letter are:
- Eve Williams, General Manager, eBay UK
- Adam Jay, CEO Vinted Marketplace
- Peter Semple, Chief Executive Officer, Depop
- Jeffrey Zubricki, Global Head of Advocacy and Public Policy, Etsy
- Craig Beaumont OBE, Executive Director, Federation of Small Businesses
- Antony Walker, Deputy CEO, Tech UK
- Daniel Woolf, Head of Government Relations and Policy, Enterprise Nation
