Starting January 2025, Ebay Canada to require SIN number for all sellers with more than 30 sales?

[joycroe_0]

I was reading this article on Ebay and it states that as of January 2025, anyone with over 30 sales will have to provide a SIN number. 
https://www.ebay.ca/help/account/regulatory/sales-reporting/canada-digital-sales-reporting?id=5476#s...

It seems like quite a drastic update and I'm surprised more people haven't been talking about it.

[flipistics]

---

@25minutes wrote:

As someone who buys mainly sports cards from local card shows and resells on Ebay - there are no receipts issued  at shows but rather hand shake deals like going to a flea market and most deals are in bulk - if you buy hundreds of low end cards, are you now supposed to create an inventory spreadsheet and somehow derive the average cost and then have the CRA believe that your numbers are correct? if for example, your sales are $20 k a year, how do you actually figure out the costs with any type of accuracy? Ebay will give you your net sales from 2024 if you go to performance tab but how do you apply that information?  I'm wondering what will happen if non-action will be taken - not sure if i'm willing to play a game of chicken with the CRA but at the same time, logistically, how will most resellers figure out their cost of goods? Do people have receipts these days for all transactions?

---

I'm not a tax professional, so you should ignore what I say and go talk to one.

What I do for garage sales is print out a sheet with the addresses the night before, and then I write beside each one what I paid and a really brief description of what I picked up. It only takes a few seconds. My phone also automatically logs mileage, time and location to show I was actually there. Is that sufficient? I don't know, but it should be a heck of a lot better than nothing.  I *think* the CRA recommends keeping a log book, where you write in the time, location, cost etc.  (for a bigger purchase you could have the dealer sign something too) The best option, combined with that, would likely be to take out cash from the bank that morning and then deposit anything remaining back into the bank that night. That would give you a paper trail.

[mrdutch1001]

If you purchase items to re-sell and/or FLIP to make a profit on your investment, you are a business and as such you are required to keep adequate and appropriate records for income tax purposes. You buy and sell as a business you keep records as a business.

[mrdutch1001]

As many of the rest of us already know, not everything sells well on eBay and not everything sells well in the local market. Because arrangements can be made to ship items sold on Kijji and FB Marketplace that does open things up somewhat, but also know that both Kijiji and FB Marketplace have also changed big time over the past few years.Beware and Be Aware that scammers abound on those selling sites just as they do on eBay as well as encountering all the no-shows and time wasters for local pickup situations. All selling sites have their pros and cons, so do your research and acquaint self with the workings of whatever sites you choose to engage in selling.

[marnotom!]

---

@rosscd57 wrote:

The only business that is asking for our SIN numbers is eBay. I See no evidence at all from Revenue Canada that they asking for, or asking eBay or more corectly - eBay.com - to collect our SIN numbers - none. The only business that you must give your SIN number to is your employer and EBAY IS NOT OUR EMPLOYER.

DO NOT GIVE EBAY YOUR SIN NUMBER.

---

Looks like you didn’t read the Government of Canada webpage I linked to back in post 55. Here’s that link again:

https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin/reports/code-of-practice.html#h2...

Other entities can request your SIN on the Fed’s behalf if there’s reportable income involved.

And, once again, it’s a SIN, not a “SIN number.”

[sin-n-dex]

---

@25minutes wrote:

As someone who buys mainly sports cards from local card shows and resells on Ebay - there are no receipts issued  at shows but rather hand shake deals like going to a flea market and most deals are in bulk - if you buy hundreds of low end cards, are you now supposed to create an inventory spreadsheet and somehow derive the average cost and then have the CRA believe that your numbers are correct? if for example, your sales are $20 k a year, how do you actually figure out the costs with any type of accuracy? Ebay will give you your net sales from 2024 if you go to performance tab but how do you apply that information?  I'm wondering what will happen if non-action will be taken - not sure if i'm willing to play a game of chicken with the CRA but at the same time, logistically, how will most resellers figure out their cost of goods? Do people have receipts these days for all transactions?

---

I have similar problems (calculating inventory costs) with some of what I have.

When I travel to other countries, they don't give receipts, and it's a cash transaction. I note the costs on a spreadsheet. Not sure if CRA takes that kind of info, but the IRS allows approximation of ineventory costs.

I have similar issues with stamp lots I put together because they are comprised of many lots and I don't value the items one stamp at a time (or even look up what any of the stamps are worth). I do an approximate that the costs are 65% of the sale price (based on the math of how much I've paid for stamps and how much of them I've sold).

C.

[sin-n-dex]

---

@mrdutch1001 wrote:

If you purchase items to re-sell and/or FLIP to make a profit on your investment, you are a business and as such you are required to keep adequate and appropriate records for income tax purposes. You buy and sell as a business you keep records as a business.

---

In Canada I pay by cheque and eTransfer when I buy stuff, I also buy online for which I'd have receipts from the purchase. When I'm in Japan paying a dealer cash for some stuff, they aren't issuing a receipt. The phone only translates on wi-fi and Japanese is complicated, so I wouldn't even know how to ask. My Japanese is limited to pointing to something and saying "onagashimasu" and "ikura desu ka?" (I would like, and, how much is it).

C.

[rosscd57]

Well I have read all the information I need to. Revinue Canada is actually askin eBay for a TIN number - there are a few types of those and eBay has chosen SIN. Well I am just being picky. But be well be aware that eBay Canada does not have the hardware or the resources to process that information. That's right eBay.com will be collecting all of your SIN numbers in the good old USA. I kinda wonder if Revenue Canada know that, or perhaps they don't care.  I really do not want a computer complex in the States to Collect my SIN number and have all my information at there finger tips. Do you?

[recped]

I don't there is such a thing as a TIN in Canada.

eBay gives 3 options depending on your structure, the Trust option is likely irrelvant for eBay purposes at least for 99.9% of eBay sellers. This leaves only SIN or BN (Business Number).

[mrdutch1001]

Not something I personally have to worry about, but for you & others who are adamant about NOT providing that information, perhaps the time has come to withdraw all presence of self selling on eBay and any other site that will be required to collect and provide said information to CRA.

[byto253]

Just got the email and message and and a pop-up notice on my orders page  and the Seller's Hub page.

I passed the 28 orders point in 2025 a while ago but have now gone over the $ limit as well, which seems to have triggered it. 

[collectorbypassion]

I never received a notification about this or else I really didn't see it go by and I only learned about it today. He could have sent us a detailed message with the steps to follow to fully understand this new change which is one of the most major in my opinion since the opening of eBay

Personally I have invested a lot of time and money to grow my eBay store and I try to push my sales to possibly live off it but the sales are so random and sometimes we can be 5 days without selling anything for no apparent reason because normally I have a good turnover but we can't live off it safely, I'm not sure and it stresses me out so much that tonight I can't sleep

I am a very honest person and I would like to declare my sales but there is no explanation other than entering your number here...Ok but give more details on this subject...

I have the feeling that in the next few weeks we are going to see a lot of sellers quite ebay for their lack of professionalism in helping us sellers with this new regulation here in Canada

[marnotom!]

---

@rosscd57 wrote:

But be well be aware that eBay Canada does not have the hardware or the resources to process that information. That's right eBay.com will be collecting all of your SIN numbers in the good old USA. I kinda wonder if Revenue Canada know that, or perhaps they don't care.  I really do not want a computer complex in the States to Collect my SIN number and have all my information at there finger tips.

---

What’s your source for this information? The eBay User Privacy Notice suggests that information might be transferred to Canada from other countries where data security may not be up to snuff. See section 6 in its entirety:

https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-privacy-notice-privacy-policy?id=42...

[fergua3]

one option for those who are uncomfortable giving Ebay their SIN, as i am, is to not give it and face expulsion from Ebay selling and a possible fine of $500 from the CRA.

I am seriously considering this option.  I'm just about done  selling on Ebay (as of June 30) and i'd rather pay $500 than worry for the rest of my life that Ebay will allow my SIN to be stolen.  Afterall, just how much do we think Ebay is going to invest in security measures to keep the Social Insurance Numbers  of a bunch of Canadians safe?

I realize most are not in the position i am and this option is not a good one for them.  But it's something to consider for others.  The problem is, not providing your SIN could put you vividly on the CRA's radar, so that is also something to think about for some people.  

[phc64]

Thanks for supplying that chart.

I just received my notice to provide a 'Tax Identification  Number', and there is still one thing that has me very confused.

I have been a GST registrant for more than thirty years and therefore have a Business Number (which eBay was already provided when they started collecting GST/HST on behalf of GST/HST registrants). But eBay will only accept a Business Number as a 'Tax Identification Number' for corporations and partnerships; for individuals they will only accept a SIN even if they have a Business Number. That makes no sense to me.

I have the same security concerns others have expressed. I have never before provided my SIN to any party over the internet.

[byto253]

I believe that in the past when a seller was $20k or so in sales, it got reported to CRA.  Those were the kind of numbers that were kicking around a few years ago anyhway.  The new legislation broadens the net but I don't believe that reporting to CRA is something new. 

[recped]

---

@byto253 wrote:

I believe that in the past when a seller was $20k or so in sales, it got reported to CRA. 

---

No that never happened. What did happen was that (and I may have the dates slightly wrong) in 2010 CRA requested seller information for all sellers that had Powerseller status in 2009. eBay fought this request for several years but eventually CRA got a court order so eBay turned over records for the year in question (2009). As far as I know that ended the situation and no further information was ever requested or given by eBay.

Edit: I got the year wrong, it was the 2008 tax year CRA was after. check this Google link for a pile of matches all about that situation.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=cra+vs+ebay+2009

[sin-n-dex]

---

@phc64 wrote:

Thanks for supplying that chart.

I just received my notice to provide a 'Tax Identification  Number', and there is still one thing that has me very confused.

I have been a GST registrant for more than thirty years and therefore have a Business Number (which eBay was already provided when they started collecting GST/HST on behalf of GST/HST registrants). But eBay will only accept a Business Number as a 'Tax Identification Number' for corporations and partnerships; for individuals they will only accept a SIN even if they have a Business Number. That makes no sense to me.

I have the same security concerns others have expressed. I have never before provided my SIN to any party over the internet.

---

I'm in the same boat. I've been registered to collect HST since 2013, and I would be more than willing to provide my HST number (as I've provided it many times in the past), but eBay wants a SIN.

I had a similar situation where I was working on contract for a company has their bookkeeper (and declaring my income as professional income with my HST number), and their accountant called and told me CRA wanted my SIN. I told them I was registered for HST and have already provided that. They insisted that CRA needed my SIN. I can only surmise it was to investigate if I was reporting my income on my T2125.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

---

@byto253 wrote:

I believe that in the past when a seller was $20k or so in sales, it got reported to CRA.  Those were the kind of numbers that were kicking around a few years ago anyhway.  The new legislation broadens the net but I don't believe that reporting to CRA is something new. 

---

I always wondered what the threshold was, and didn't want to take any chances by not reporting (it's not just income tax, if you're supposed to be remitting HST they'll come after you for that too).

I'm over 20K per annum, so I guess they've always been reporting my income to CRA since I started running auctions on here. On my T2125 it asks what percentage are online sales and which website I sell on, for me it's just eBay right now, so that's what I put.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

---

@recped wrote:

---

@byto253 wrote:

I believe that in the past when a seller was $20k or so in sales, it got reported to CRA. 

---

No that never happened. What did happen was that (and I may have the dates slightly wrong) in 2010 CRA requested seller information for all sellers that had Powerseller status in 2009. eBay fought this request for several years but eventually CRA got a court order so eBay turned over records for the year in question (2009). As far as I know that ended the situation and no further information was ever requested or given by eBay.

Edit: I got the year wrong, it was the 2008 tax year CRA was after. check this Google link for a pile of matches all about that situation.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=cra+vs+ebay+2009

---

That coincides with a story I was told in 2013 about someone from our coin club that made 50K on eBay and got ratted out to CRA and they came after him for 10K in income tax. He hadn't been keeping receipts or records, so he was on the hook for that. Not sure how it ended, I was never told.

C.

[ricarmic]

I actually got my request today, which surprised me, I thought I'd probably given it to them years ago.....