Selling Your Handmade items Question...?

So is it alloud and legal to just make and sell?
Weather its online or at craft fairs ect?

Do you have to become self employed and declare it as a business if your traiding in any way?

Who here sell's things they have made?

Any help would be very welcome! Thanks Happy

Edit: Im in England by the way. I forgot to mention that.

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2 replies since 17th March 2011 • Last reply 17th March 2011

Reply #1:

Depends where you sell it. Certain craft fairs you need a license. Online I'm almost positive you can sell them (I could be wrong). I've sold jewelry at craft fairs and I didn't need a license for that one. Ask the people who are hosting the craft fair if you need a license. Most you don't need one, but that's where I live.

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Reply #2:

Yes, you can make and sell most things you make.

Most organised craft fairs now insist on public liability insurance, which for having stalls at craft fairs is between £50 -100 per year. However, some of the main craft fair organisers in my area have a group insurance that covers members of that craft association. When you pay for the stall, you are covered by their insurance. Small fairs in church halls etc. don't bother about that, but really they should.

Here, you only need a license if you are a street trader, and the chances of getting that are remote.

I have also been at craft fairs where Trading Standards people have come round examining the stalls for compliance with safety regulations, confiscating home made cakes etc.!!!! So you have to comply with health and safety regulations, especially if you're making toys or edible things.

I don't think you register as self employed if you are working less than 16 hours a week, but legally you are supposed to declare the profits you make as unearned income...that is after you've deducted all costs of materials, the cost of your stall, transport etc. which leaves you with hardly any profit anyway, so just keep a note of all your expenses in case you are asked, but you are allowed to earn about (or make profit of )£6000 a year before paying tax. The last craft fair I was at, out of about 20 stallholders, about four were registered as self employed. If you are working at your crafts for more than 16 hours a week, you are supposed to pay national insurance.

So you can go ahead and start off in a small way, and when you start making nearly £6000 profit then register as self employed.
If you go to the HMRC website you'll get all the details about when you have to register as self employed, paying national insurance etc.

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