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Understand regulations that apply to you as an eBay seller

Discover regulations

eBay is committed to helping our sellers navigate the laws and regulations that could impact you as a seller. Regulations are becoming more complex, making it harder for sellers like you to focus on what you do best: selling. This resource, while not exhaustive, will continue to grow to include as many applicable e-commerce regulations as possible and elevate the best resources to help you comply.

To check if you have any non-compliant listings, visit Active Listings.

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      Consumer Protection

      US INFORM Consumers Act: Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act

      The INFORM Consumers Act aims to create a safer and more transparent online buying process and requires marketplaces such as eBay to collect, verify, and sometimes disclose certain information about high-volume sellers into the US.
      Consumer Protection

      EU DSA: Digital Services Act

      The Digital Services Act fosters a safe, accountable online environment, requiring platforms like eBay to enhance transparency and consumer protection.
      Consumer Protection / Product Safety

      EU GPSR: General Product Safety Regulation

      GPSR ensures the sale of safe products to buyers in the European Union (EU) and Northern Ireland (NI). This regulation applies to both new and second-hand products sold in these markets, and it introduces specific requirements for businesses regarding product safety information.

      Environmental

      EU Common Charger Directive

      The EU Common Charger Directive is a measure aimed at harmonising charging interfaces and capabilities across a wide range of electronic devices, to reduce electronic waste and improve consumer convenience.
      Environmental

      EU Batteries Regulation

      The EU Batteries and Waste Batteries Regulation aims to improve the environmental impact, safety, labelling, collection and treatment of batteries sold in the EU and Northern Ireland.
      Environmental

      FR EPR: France Extended Producer Responsibility

      The Extended Producer Responsibility France (EPR France) regulates the disposal of packaging and materials throughout the entire lifecycle of products. Sellers who sell to buyers in France must comply with the EPR requirements, which may include rules for eBay listings, recycling, and waste management.

      Environmental

      EU/UK CLP: Classification, Labeling and Packaging of hazard materials

      CLP laws require sellers to provide information about hazardous materials like cleaning products, paints, and aerosols. Sellers must include hazard details when shipping them within or to the EU or UK.
      Environmental

      EPR Spain (Packaging)

      The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulates the disposal of packaging and materials throughout the entire lifecycle. Sellers outside of Spain who sell to buyers in Spain must meet specific documentation requirements.
      Tax / Duties

      Sales Tax / VAT

      Sales to buyers in certain states in the US, AU, NZ, or the EU may be subject to sales tax, goods and service tax, or Value Added Tax.
      Tax / Duties

      EU DAC7 and the Platform Tax Transparency Act – Sales reporting obligations

      DAC7 introduced new reporting obligations for platforms acting as digital intermediaries, such as eBay. The rules require digital platform operators to collect and verify information about the identity and transactions of sellers that use their platforms. This information must be reported to the German tax authorities and sellers each year. eBay follows the German law requirements in order to fulfill its obligations under DAC7. DAC7 reports on all EU business and consumer sellers with 30 or more transactions OR more than 2,000 EUR in total payments per calendar year.

      Tax / Duties

      Your VAT obligations in the UK & EU

      Sellers of goods into the EU or UK may be required to register for VAT and charge value added tax, and to provide their VAT ID to eBay.
      Tax / Duties

      UK and EU VAT

      Sales of low value imports and forward deployed goods into the EU and UK may be subject to value added tax. Additionally, sellers doing business in the EU or UK may be required to register for, and charge, VAT.
      Environmental

      EU/UK Energy Labeling regulations

      Business sellers must display energy efficiency details for certain electrical products and tyres in the EU and UK.
      Environmental

      German Packaging Act (EPR)

      EPR regulates waste from products. To reduce environmental impact and encourage recycling, sellers to buyers in germany must license their packaging and register with the government waste-reduction system.
      Environmental

      WEEE Germany (ElektroG)

      The WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive is part of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) and regulates the distribution, return and environmentally friendly disposal of electrical and electronic equipment. Sellers of these products must check if they need to enter a WEEE number in their eBay account.

      Environmental

      EPR Austria (Packaging, WEEE & Batteries)

      The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Austria includes the Packaging Act, the WEEE Directive for electrical and electronic equipment, and the Regulation on Batteries and Waste Batteries. Its goal is to reduce environmental impact from waste and promote recycling. Sellers who sell to buyers in Austria must comply with regulations concerning products, components, and packaging.

      Tax / Duties

      US 1099-K

      Forms 1099-K report gross payments for transactions executed during a calendar year. The current federal reporting threshold for third party settlement organizations (“TPSO”) like eBay, for 2025 is >$2,500 and for years after 2025 will be >$600. eBay issues Forms 1099-K to sellers that a) cross the federal reporting threshold, b) cross their state of residence reporting threshold and/or c) are subject to backup withholding (currently at 24%) either due to i) the account not having a valid TIN, or ii) an IRS notice that the seller’s TIN does not match the IRS records.

      Tax / Duties

      UK DSR: Digital Sales Reporting

      UK Marketplace Reporting for Digital Platforms introduced new reporting obligations for platforms acting as digital intermediaries such as eBay. The rules require digital platform operators to collect and verify information about the identity and transactions of sellers that use their platforms. This information must be reported to HMRC and sellers each year. Reporting is required for all active UK resident business and consumer sellers with 30 or more transactions OR more than €2,000 (~£1740) in total payments per calendar year.

      Tax / Duties

      CA DSR: Canada Digital Sales Reporting

      Canada Reporting Rules for Digital Platform Operators introduced new reporting obligations for platforms acting as digital intermediaries, such as eBay. The rules require digital platform operators to collect and verify information about the identity and transactions of sellers that use their platforms. This information must be reported to CRA and sellers each year. Reporting is required for all active Canada resident business and consumer sellers with 30 or more transactions OR more than CAD 2,800 in total payments per calendar year.

      This guide is not exhaustive. As eBay is unable to provide legal advice, we recommend you talk to a legal advisor if you need further guidance on how these regulations could impact your specific products and listings.

      The tax information included on this page is based on the site you are selling from. This tax content may not consider all countries or regions where you are a tax resident. For personalized guidance about your global tax obligations, speak with your tax advisor.

      eBay is monitoring changes to US tariffs and Customs policy and will update the eBay community as additional information becomes available. See Tariff updates for selling from the UK to the US for more information.

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      A message from eBay’s Regulatory leadership

      Andrea Stairs, eBay's COO and VP of Global Regulatory, highlights eBay's commitment to supporting sellers in navigating complex regulations.

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      FAQ’s

      As a seller, you may be legally required to comply with certain laws and regulations when trading domestically and internationally. It's important that you are aware of and understand these laws and regulations and take the necessary steps to comply.

      Non-compliance may put you and your business at risk, but can also lead eBay to restrict your selling activity, hide your listings, and more. By complying with regulations, you also can ensure you maintain a trusted relationship with your customers.

      Regulations are external legal requirements set by government bodies. They can cover a wide range of areas including taxation, the environment, and consumer safety, and are enforced by government officials or private parties.

      Some eBay policies relate to regulations. Others do not, but are designed and set by eBay to ensure our platform remains a safe and fair marketplace for all. Violations of our company policies, as well as regulations, can lead to several consequences including administrative and account penalties, actions eBay must take, and/or fines.

      For detailed information on specific regulations, we recommend exploring the resources provided above in this guide, which explain the regulation, what it applies to, and how to take any required actions to get compliant.

      For detailed information on specific mandatory safety standards that may apply to your product, please visit the Product Safety Guidelines for sellers.

      To help maintain compliance, review and resolve any listing issues under Active Listings.

      Some regulations may not require changes to your eBay listings. In this case, we recommend reviewing the emails from eBay that include regulatory information, or the Messages in your eBay account. Additionally, check the resources in the guide above. The “Discover regulations” tool offers access to resources that may help you understand how to comply with relevant regulations. If you’re unsure about any requirements, please consult with your legal advisor.

      For detailed information on specific mandatory safety standards, please visit the Product Safety Guidelines for sellers.

      You can also find information under our Product Safety policy.