Can I sell my books and pay no taxes?

From January 1, 2023, we, as a platform, are required by law to register with the seller (tax identification number or tax number) and provide information to the tax authorities on all sales above a certain limit (over 30 sales per year or a turnover of 2000 euros per year)

The first report will be made at the beginning of 2024 on the previous year's sales. However, this does not mean that you have to pay taxes on income received through us, even if you exceed this limit.

As a general rule, private sales are not taxed. Anyone who sells classic household items (like books) usually doesn't have to pay any taxes.

Taxes are only payable if the tax office classifies your trading activity as "commercial". If you only sell used books from a private library for less than your purchase price, then the IRS usually does not consider this a commercial activity.

There are no well-defined restrictions on the number of items or turnover. Additional factors such as the intention to make a profit (the difference between the buying and selling price) and the type of goods offered are decisive, so the decision is always made on a case-by-case basis.

In case of doubt, you can contact your tax advisor or the tax office and clarify whether, in your case, taxable income exists.

Link to law: https://www.buzer.de/PStTG.htm

Link to video with explanation: https://youtu.be/U0aA0BA4Tjg