UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / September 22, 2026 / UK online retailers expanding across multiple marketplaces risk making pricing, stock and growth decisions without a reliable view of profitability because platform fees, refunds and VAT are not being consistently reconciled, specialist accountancy firm eAccounts has warned.

As retailers add channels such as Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop and Vinted, gross sales can rise while actual channel margins become harder to see. Each platform presents sales, commissions, advertising, fulfilment, storage and refunds differently, while bank feeds often show only the net payout received.

Unless gross sales and every deduction are mapped correctly, topline growth can conceal weakening margins and create errors in VAT and tax reporting. The problem is particularly acute for retailers using accounting processes designed for conventional single-channel businesses.

Kris Corbisiero, Co-Founder of eAccounts, said: " Selling online isn't the same as running a local plumbing business, yet many ecommerce retailers are still receiving exactly the same type of accounting advice. Once businesses start selling across multiple platforms, the rules change completely. We've seen businesses overpay tax, misunderstand profitability and struggle with VAT simply because their accountant didn't understand how online marketplaces actually work."

eAccounts says the risk commonly becomes visible at two points. The first is when a retailer's taxable turnover exceeds the £90,000 VAT registration threshold. The second is when the business adds marketplaces or starts selling into other countries, making the reconciliation of sales, fees, refunds and VAT significantly more complicated.

For retail leaders, poor reconciliation is not only a compliance issue. Without dependable channel-level figures, businesses can struggle to identify which marketplaces are genuinely profitable, where advertising spend is delivering a return and whether pricing still covers fulfilment, storage, commission and returns.

Anil Demir, Founder of global ecommerce partnership TLINKTO, said: " Selling across Amazon and eBay taught me that eCommerce accounting is a different game entirely, once you're juggling marketplace fees, VAT, inventory and multiple sales channels, it's incredibly easy to lose sight of your actual profitability.

“Through TLINKTO and eCommerce Target, I work closely with dozens of eCommerce entrepreneurs, and the same problem comes up again and again: businesses scaling fast without accounting support built for how marketplaces actually work. An accountant who genuinely understands eCommerce isn't a nice-to-have anymore, it's the difference between scaling profitably and scaling blind."

Four signs a retailer may have outgrown its accounting support

• Finance reports begin with marketplace payout totals rather than gross sales and the deductions that produced them.

• The accountant relies on manual payout reports instead of connecting directly to marketplace data or compatible ecommerce integrations.

• The adviser cannot clearly explain the VAT treatment of marketplace or international sales.

• The business cannot see profitability by sales channel after fees, refunds, advertising, fulfilment and storage costs.

The warning comes as HMRC begins signing up sole traders who are required to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for the 2026 to 2027 tax year and have not already enrolled. The rules apply from 6 April 2026 to sole traders and landlords with qualifying income above £50,000, based on their 2024 to 2025 tax return, and require compatible software, digital records and quarterly updates.

Dan Little, Founder of Link My Books, added: "We connect thousands of ecommerce sellers to their accounting software every day, and the difference between sellers working with a specialist and those using a general accountant is stark. Sellers with specialist support have cleaner books, fewer VAT errors and a much better understanding of their actual margins."

eAccounts is encouraging online retailers to review whether their current accountant can confidently reconcile marketplace data, report profitability by channel and explain their VAT and Making Tax Digital obligations.

For more information, visit https://www.e-accounts.co.uk

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