EBay was originally a location to sell handmade items and organize garage sales. Still, today it is a dynamic market for established vendors who want to operate their capital as efficiently as possible, and this can be achieved with professional bookkeeping for eBay sellers. The sooner merchants on the platform are in complete financial monitoring, the more they may save.
If you are launching sales on the online market or just beginning to keep records, we recommend reading this article to the end. We’ll look at financial experts’ advice on how to make online trading successful.
Identify all the profits of ecommerce accounting
Correct accounting is the basis of any enterprise if you want to trade and get revenue on eBay. As your firm rises, economical operations will become more sophisticated. More and more capital will come and go, while all financial procedures must be correctly classified, explored, and indicated in documents. Consider the main advantages of reliable recording:
- Ability to cut your tax burden: having all the financial data will allow you to accurately predict the sum of mandatory payments and experience the benefits of tax deductions.
- Creation of economic documents: bookkeeping ensures the compilation of various papers. The balance sheet is necessary to assess the company’s total worth, the income statement shows the results of your activities, and the capital flow statement informs about the key sources of profits and charges. It is easier to make clear decisions based on these documents.
- Careful bookkeeping for eBay sellers keeps every receipt and records all transactions to avoid troubles with the tax authorities.
Many traders focus on selling and don’t pay enough attention to bookkeeping. They don’t comprehend how to properly report and lose thousands of dollars in profits because of it. We advise you to consult a professional bookkeeper regularly to get assistance when you launch your firm or throughout your eBay business travel.
Select an optimal program
EBay vendors strive to make their transactions as profitable as possible and monitor every dollar that goes into the account. It is simpler to achieve if you utilize the suitable eBay accounting software to control revenue and spending, issue invoices, manage inventory, monitor orders, etc. Although there are many cloud accounting platforms today, users most often choose these options:
- QuickBooks is one of the most famous recording applications for eBay sellers. It is a web-backed program that does not require download and installation. Such a platform has an intuitive interface and a range of useful functions, including calculating the work cost. This option lets you highlight profitable projects and those that are better abandoned. QuickBooks easily syncs with your eBay profile and dozens of other ecommerce programs.
- Xero is the optimal digital product for large sellers on the online platform who want to concentrate on growing sales without extensive training. The ability to synchronize with hundreds of third-party programs has become a flexible solution for entrepreneurs who wish to avoid the challenges of a sophisticated inventory management system.
- Freshbooks is one of the most versatile apps due to its ease of employment. Such a digital solution is suitable for small market players and scale companies who plan to obtain the maximum profit from online trading and sellers with staff and contractors. In addition to the Freshbooks web platform, there are also iOS and Android applications to manage your finances from anywhere in the world.
The fundamental criterion when selecting software is the volume of trade. Sellers who offer a small number of items and use eBay to earn extra money can install a more straightforward program with minimal functions and a low monthly fee. Companies with a massive volume of operations, the need to pay taxes, and payroll staff will require more complex systems.
Analyze the problems sellers have on the platform
Bookkeeping on eBay can be extremely intense, as there are endless receipts, inventory, tax deductions, and possibly the movement of commodities across multiple platforms to monitor. It is essential to comprehend what problems most sellers face not to repeat them:
- Do accounting only during the tax period and run into trouble with regulatory agencies due to mishandling eBay bookkeeping spreadsheet.
- Not cooperating with a financial proficient who comprehends the ins and outs of how eBay works as an intermediary. You risk paying a hefty commission if an experienced accountant does not handle your invoices.
- Recording refunds and chargebacks may also be problematic.
You must keep track of every operation to avoid mistakes. Often sellers experience double entries in their ledgers, or the information on their bank documents differs from the data in the book of accounts. Even the slightest inaccuracy can lead you to make the wrong decision about the future development of your firm.
Control your costs
Like any other business, selling commodities on eBay comes with various spendings. Let’s analyze the most common types of expenditures:
- shipping costs,
- marketing charges,
- supplies spending,
- subscriptions, etc.
Such data is essential when you compute taxes and forecast the budget.
Online merchants need to provide precise and reliable profit and loss reports when requested by counterparties, customers, or financial institutions. In addition, an accurate record of all costs will allow you to identify the areas with the highest expenses and develop techniques to improve them. Control of all spending enables you to detect potential payments to reduce the tax burden.
Determine the distinctions between cash basis and accrual techniques
If you are doing finance independently, it is vital to comprehend the distinctions between cash and accrual algorithms.
Under the cash technique, earnings are recorded at the time of receipt of capital and expenses – at the moment of payment of money. Such an option does not include receivables and payables.
Small entrepreneurs often prefer the cash basis because it is simple to support. You can quickly determine when any operation occurred (whether money is in the bank account). This recording option lets you monitor how much capital a firm has in a certain period; you may view your bank statement and find out how much cash you have to reach your aims.
Since operations are not recorded until the money is gained or paid out, the proceeds of the trading firm are not taxed until the funds are in the bank.
Precise eBay accounting records earnings and expenditures as they occur, regardless of when the funds enter the account or leave the business. It means you must register the profit when you finish the project and not after the financial calculations end. Such a technique is more well-known than the cash technique.
Accrual accounting allows you to obtain more precise financial records because it considers all the money you are owed and an entire checklist of financial expenses, giving you a full picture of the company’s current financial position. It is especially true when we speak about sellers with significant sales volumes on eBay if they want to know the business’s fair market value.
Don’t forget about paying taxes
Since you can buy anything on eBay, from original paintings by famous artists to celebrity hair, the IRS does not treat all members of the online platform equally. You may not need to make mandatory payments if you are running a garage sale. However, business owners must inform the authorized authorities about their income.
Not all online market transactions are subject to income tax. When you sell household items on the site you previously used, you do not need to show such an inflow of capital on the documents.
If you bought used goods on the site and are now selling them at a lower price, you are also not required to inform the IRS of operations. Let’s say you’re selling a bike you bought a few years ago on eBay for $600. You set the price at $400. In such a case, you do not need to report the proceeds, but you cannot claim damages on such a transaction.
Hobby sellers must report their revenue on Form 1040. Before 2018, such market participants had the right to record their costs as an itemized deduction in Appendix A; however, after the change in legislation, this variant disappeared.
The IRS considers the activity of people who sell and buy goods on eBay to receive remuneration as a business. Such entrepreneurs must paper their net income on Schedule C, decreasing it by the allowable business costs.
Each state sets its directives, regulations, and fees for online entrepreneurs. Local consumption tax and customs duties may apply if you send items outside the United States. In some situations, eBay checks the remitting of all taxes; in other cases, the package recipient must pay them to clear customs successfully.
Take advantage of tax deductions
The only tax deductions you can use to reduce your tax burden on eBay are those items listed in the IRS directives, but you have many options to choose from. Analyze if you meet the requirements:
- Expenses to purchase or fix up the commodities sold.
- Car operation deductions to solve commercial problems. You can consider actual spending or the established mileage rate; from the end of 2022, it is 62.5 cents per mile.
- Advertising expenses.
- Phone and internet bills connected with business operations on eBay.
Understanding what payouts you can employ as an eBay seller is essential so you don’t miss out on capital savings. Besides, knowing what costs may be deducted and proper bookkeeping for eBay sellers throughout the year increases business efficiency.
Control inventories
You may have a bounded area warehouse when you open a physical shop. You fill your counters with commodities; otherwise, you will have nothing to sell. The situation changes when we speak about online trading, as you can:
- sell goods via diverse channels, not only through the eBay platform,
- trade through a third party, e.g., Amazon FBA.
You must control your inventory, goods in transit, damaged or returned products, items in production, and items delivered to the buyer.
Imagine a logistics system that lets you monitor every order, even with a minimum assortment, but what if you plan to expand?
If you can’t rationally manage inventory, you risk ordering too many items and hurting your business’s liquidity. Running out of cash or heavily in debt will unlikely lead you to success.
Consider dealing with a professional accountant
It may be challenging for entrepreneurs on eBay to study all manipulations, analyze the profitability of their businesses and think over the key directions of future development, especially if they do not have experience in the financial industry. In such a situation, it is worth seeking help from freelance accountants or third-party companies. They comprehend how to make a solid financial foundation, including organizing a business and handling general financial matters.
Hiring a professional to manage your finances immediately ensures you don’t have to worry about taxes, capital controls, and program updates.
Final words
Online trading is profitable and exciting; at the same time, such a business requires thorough preparation and thoughtfulness. Ensure you have enough time to learn the ins and outs of the industry if you plan on earning a solid income.
One of the paths to guarantee ideal customer service is to delegate eBay accounting and inventory management to bookkeeping company. As your firm rises, you will need the services of an accountant to ensure economic stability. Experts can assist you in managing financial transactions, issuing and paying invoices, and developing financing tactics to solve current problems and identify potential difficulties that may affect future sales.
