Amazon is one of the most well-known platforms. In fact, we could say that it is the first one you usually look on when you need something. But, as you know, it is open to external sellers, who can upload their catalogue. Now, can you sell on Amazon without being self-employed? Is it necessary to be one to access the platform?
The truth is that no, it is not mandatory to be self-employed to be able to sell on Amazon. But you should take into account a series of information that will help you make the decision.
Can you sell on Amazon without being self-employed?
The easy answer to this question is yes, you can sell on Amazon without having to be self-employed. But to do so, you should know that you will have certain limitations. And although Amazon does not require you to register as self-employed or as a company, depending on the sales you have, Yes, it is possible that he will require it from you at some point.
Yes, you can start as an individual. But if sales take off, you may need to issue invoices and declare them to the tax authorities, which means you would have to register as self-employed.
If you haven't checked out the Amazon sellers page, here's a quick rundown so you can understand it better:
You have two options to sell. The first is the individual seller account, which will cost you the least, although it is more limited. This is characterized by the fact that you can only sell 40 items per month and only to Spain. With each sale you make, Amazon will keep 0,99 euros. That is, if you sell 40 items per month, Amazon keeps a total of 39,6 euros.
In addition to this account, you also have the professional seller account. Here the monthly sales limit is increased, as well as allowing you to sell to all of Europe with lower commissions. However, you will have to pay a monthly fee of 39 euros plus VAT per month, in addition to these sales commissions.
Requirements to register without being self-employed
In case you want to give yourself registered as an individual and not being self-employed to sell, you will have to meet a series of requirements. These are:
- Be of legal age. In the case of Spain, you must be 18 years old.
- Have a bank account. This will be used to receive payments for the products you sell.
- Provide an email address. This is the one Amazon will primarily use to contact you and send you information about transactions that are carried out.
- Having a credit card. Yes, it may seem strange, but it is actually normal, since Amazon also has to charge you. And it does not do so through the bank account. Specifically, the card will be used to pay sales commissions, as well as the monthly subscription if you take out the professional account.
- Tax identification number. In the case of individuals, this number would be the DNI itself.
Until when can I sell on Amazon without being self-employed?
As we said before, selling on Amazon without being self-employed is not something you can maintain over time. Sooner or later you will have to consider it. However, the laws do not establish an exact figure by which, if you exceed it, you have to be self-employed.
However, There are some court rulings that have set jurisprudence, which establishes that if the income from the activity (which would be sales on Amazon) occurs regularly, and is also higher than the minimum interprofessional wage, then you must be registered as self-employed.
Considering that, by 2025, The SMI is set at 1184 euros per month, if Amazon sales per month exceed that amount, then you should consider registering with RETA.
Can the Treasury catch me if I sell on Amazon without being self-employed?
The Treasury is increasingly concerned about undeclared money. And obviously, the fact that the income is paid into your bank account means that, whether you like it or not, they can find out about it.
When you file your tax return, and you do not declare what you have earned on Amazon, if this income is high, it will set off alarm bells at the Tax Agency.In other words, they will ask you for explanations about these regular and periodic incomes, so that you can justify where they come from.
The moment they see that these come from Amazon and that they relate this income to an economic activity, you will have problems and could be fined between 300 and 3000 euros. In addition, you will have to add that you will be forced to become self-employed. And that means that you will have to pay the overdue Social Security contributions (with retroactive effect from when you started selling on Amazon), adding an extra 20% for paying late.
That is to say, the joke could cost you dearly.
Selling on Amazon, yes or no?
As you can see, there are pros and cons to selling on Amazon without being self-employed. The final decision must be made by you and see if it really suits you to do so or if it is better to consider registering as a self-employed person and paying the self-employed fee. You can do this once you have seen the viability of Amazon for your products.
And, If you don't sell much on Amazon, it wouldn't make much sense to register as self-employed. if you don't need it for other things. Quite the opposite if you see that your products are in demand on Amazon and it can be a good platform for your sales to increase.
Now that you have more detailed information, it is clear that yes, you can sell on Amazon without being self-employed. But you will not be able to maintain this status for long, because in the end you will have to register as self-employed. If you have not been self-employed before, you could benefit from the flat rate that allows you to pay less than 90 euros per month as a self-employed person for a year. But after that time, unless your income does not exceed the minimum interprofessional salary, you would have to pay the corresponding fee.