Can you sign up for UK ecommerce platforms under 18 and how are taxes handled?

Shopify Discussion
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how can i sign up to shopify in the UK if i’m under 18? also, what can you use instead of a utilities bill? Also, how do the taxes work on shopify?

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This is PageFly - Advanced Page Builder. I would love to give you some recommendations

you can see the Shopify Terms of Service where this is stated here and highlighted in the screenshot below:

PageFly_0-1664945452882.png
PageFly_0-1664945452882.png645×288 35.7 KB

Something else which might be worth talking to your parents about is registering the business and if that can be done in your name or would it need to be in your parent’s name also. This could be different for different places around the world so I would definitely suggest talking to a local accountant or tax office about this to be sure.

As a minor you can add your bank account for payouts but the credit card (CC) used for billing would need to be your parents. Your parent’s would also need to be the account owners (AO) and you (the minor) a staff member.

There can be a few steps to this process and getting it set up. Your best bet could be to create an account (so you can log in when you reach out to support for authentication purposes) and then reach out to our support team directly to get the account set up properly. You can contact the support team directly here for that.

about taxes

Shopify doesn’t file or remit your sales taxes for you. You might need to register your business with your local or federal tax authority to handle your sales tax. The calculations and reports that Shopify provides should help make things easier when it’s time to file and pay your taxes.

You can refer to this article

https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/taxes#:~:text=Shopify%20doesn’t%20file%20or,file%20and%20pay%20your%20taxes

Hope you find my answer helpful!

Regards,

PageFly

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Hi, @Aayan105 .

Congratulations on this business venture at such a young age!

In order to use Shopify, you will need to be over the age of 18, or, have your parents sign up as the Account Owner on your behalf.

Additionally, in order to use Shopify Payments, we must verify your information. There are only a few acceptable options such as a utility bill with the name and address of the listed Account Owner or a bank statement. This is to verify the identity of the Account Owner to ensure Shopify Payments is following all regional laws and restrictions.

In regards to taxes, Shopify doesn’t file or remit your taxes for you. We do allow you to charge your customers tax, and provide a range of help documents on how to do so; such as this guide on how to enable UK Taxes. However, this is something you will need to determine yourself, or with the assistance of a local tax professional.

I hope that helps! In the meantime, if your parents decide to assist you in running the store, make sure to use our Launch Checklist to ensure you have completed all necessary steps before launch. This will make sure you start off your new business on the right track!

1 Like
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If you’re under 18, you can’t legally sign up for Shopify Payments. Use a parent or guardian’s details to create the account.

Don’t have a utility bill? You can try:

  • UK bank statement (with your name)

  • HMRC letter

  • Driving license (UK)

If those aren’t available, Shopify Payments won’t work, but you can use WallidPay instead — it’s great for non-residents and under-18s:

  • No utility bill needed in many cases

  • Easy setup

  • Instant withdrawals

  • Fully Shopify-compatible

Taxes in the UK:

  • VAT if sales > £85k/year

  • Income tax on profits (via HMRC)