eBay Germany: reconcile fees, shipping and your payout

Quick answer

Calculate the sale from its income and expense lines, not from the amount that reaches your bank. A payout may already have commission deducted while your purchase price, carrier label and packaging were paid elsewhere.

This workflow is for a domestic eBay.de sale from Germany. For a business account, use the relevant total order amount for the fee base, as described in eBay's business fee table. The private versus business guide helps choose the model first.

Hypothetical order: EUR 55 item plus EUR 5 delivery

The following inputs are invented planning assumptions: purchase EUR 20; carrier EUR 5; packaging EUR 0.80; variable commission 10%; fixed commission EUR 0.45; no ads or other costs. The 10% assumption is not a current category quote. Taxes and VAT on fees are excluded here and must be assessed separately.

EUR 53.55 is the modeled payout after commission, not the deal's profit. If you calculate the percentage on EUR 55 instead of EUR 60, you understate the assumed fee by EUR 0.50. If you subtract the EUR 6.45 again from a payout that already excludes it, you make the opposite error.

Reconcile the order in five steps

1. Record the item payment and any shipping payment actually received.
2. Match the order's fee statement to those income lines.
3. Mark which charges were deducted from the payout and which were paid separately.
4. Add the purchase, carrier and material expenses once each.
5. Replace estimates with actual amounts after completion; record refunds and related fee credits separately.

A deduction is not automatically the final cost for your tax situation. Use a consistent basis for fee VAT and any recoverable input VAT; do not compare one VAT-inclusive expense with another VAT-exclusive estimate without adjustment.

Which calculator should you use next?

Use the eBay calculator to model its supported fee groups and shipping setting. Read its exclusions before carrying the result into your records. Add costs such as packaging or advertising separately if the selected model does not include them.

If the unresolved question is what shipping charge to list, use the shipping charge formula. If you need to choose a parcel service first, use the shipping workflow guide.

Frequently asked questions

Should I subtract eBay fees from the payout again?

Only subtract a charge once. Check whether that payout already reflects the deduction.

Is buyer-paid shipping all profit?

No. It is income to compare with carrier and material expenses, plus any effect on selling fees.

Does this table calculate taxable profit?

No. It is a limited planning example that excludes tax, working time and overheads.