What NAICS Business Code should I use for my eBay store?

The NAICS code you should use depends on what you're primarily selling. For an eBay business focused on video games and collectibles, I'd recommend 453220 - "Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores" which includes collectibles, or 451120 - "Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores" which covers video games. If you're selling a wider variety of items without a specific focus, you might want to use 454110 - "Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses" which is a broader e-commerce category that covers online retailers. The most important thing is to choose the code that best represents your primary business activity. Don't stress too much though - the NAICS code isn't going to make or break your tax filing, and you can always change it later if your business evolves.

I was super confused about this too when I started my online reselling business! I ended up using https://taxr.ai to help me figure out which NAICS code was right for my situation. I uploaded some of my sales reports and business documents, and it recommended the perfect code for my eBay store. What's cool is that it also gave me a detailed explanation of why that code was appropriate for my business model and how it might affect my tax deductions. It saved me hours of Googling and second-guessing myself.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that was mentioned above. I was between three different NAICS codes for my vintage furniture restoration/resale business and couldn't decide which fit best. The tool analyzed my business description and sales patterns and recommended 453310 "Used Merchandise Stores" as my primary code, with a detailed explanation about why this was more appropriate than the furniture retail code I was considering. It also flagged that I could potentially qualify for some specific deductions related to restoration supplies that I hadn't been tracking properly. Really helpful for someone like me who's not a tax expert but needs to get this stuff right!

If you're having trouble with the NAICS code or other tax questions, you might also want to actually talk to someone at the IRS directly. I know, sounds impossible right? I was on hold FOREVER trying to get clarity on my business classification. Then I found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they basically wait on hold with the IRS for you and call you when an actual human agent is on the line. Saved me literally hours of hold time. I got a definitive answer about my NAICS code situation from the IRS agent, which gave me peace of mind that I was filing correctly. Much better than guessing or going off forum advice (no offense to anyone here).

Ok I need to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After being frustrated with trying to get an answer about my NAICS code situation (I run a weird hybrid business that doesn't fit neatly into categories), I decided to try it. I was SHOCKED when my phone rang about 2 hours later and there was an actual IRS representative on the line. They answered my questions about using multiple NAICS codes (turns out you should pick the one that represents your primary revenue source) and clarified some Schedule C questions I had too. Seriously saved me a day of stress and hold music. Can't believe it actually worked exactly as advertised.

For an eBay seller of used games and collectibles, I'd go with 453220 (Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores) OR maybe 45411 (Electronic Shopping). I do Etsy and eBay selling and my accountant recommended 45411 since its the broader e-commerce one. Don't overthink it honestly! I've been selling online for 5+ years and the NAICS code has never once been an issue in my taxes or caused any problems.

One thing to remember is that your NAICS code should reflect your primary business activity. If more than 50% of your revenue comes from selling video games, choose the code that best represents that activity. I made the mistake of choosing too general a code my first year and missed out on some industry-specific deductions. When I switched to a more specific code that actually matched my primary business activity, I was able to take advantage of deductions I didn't even know existed!

For your eBay business selling vintage video games and collectibles, I'd recommend looking at 451120 - "Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores" since video games seem to be your primary focus. This code specifically covers retailers of video games and would be most accurate for your business. If you're selling a really mixed variety where no single category dominates, then 454110 - "Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses" would be the safer general e-commerce option. The key is to track your sales by category for a month or two and see what makes up the majority of your revenue. That should guide your NAICS code selection. And don't worry too much - you can always update it as your business evolves! One tip: make sure you're keeping detailed records of your inventory costs and shipping expenses. These are often the biggest deductions for eBay sellers regardless of which NAICS code you choose.

Great question! I went through this exact same process last year when I started treating my eBay selling more seriously. For your situation selling vintage video games and collectibles, I'd definitely lean toward 451120 - "Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores" since video games seem to be your main focus. This code is specifically designed for businesses that sell games and hobby items, which sounds like a perfect fit. However, if your sales are really mixed across different categories without one clear winner, then 454110 - "Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses" gives you more flexibility as a general e-commerce classification. One thing that helped me decide was looking at my sales data for the past few months and calculating what percentage came from each category. If 60%+ of your revenue is from video games, go with the hobby/game store code. If it's more evenly split, the general e-commerce code is safer. Also, don't stress too much about getting it "perfect" - the IRS cares more about accurate reporting of your income and expenses than having the absolutely perfect NAICS code. You can always adjust it next year if your business focus changes!