1. I'm wondering, do I need to get an ABN if I'm just testing the viability of the idea at first? Or can I get one if I think the idea is viable?
You’ll need an ABN if you have an annual turnover of $75,000 or more. Below that threshold, it’s optional – but you should speak to an accountant to be aware of the nitty gritty details and consequences.
2. As a sole trader, if my imports are under AUD 1000, will I also get import tax exemption? Do I have to pay any other taxes?
Importing items to resell is different to importing for personal use. Your should discuss this with a licensed customs broker or at least preliminarily with your business accountant. You’ll not find anyone willing to stick their neck out and give you specific advice to your specific case on a public forum, especially in light of customs and tax complexities that can impact the appropriate advice.
3. What other laws and regulations do I need to be aware of when selling on eBay, apart from ABF import and labelling requirements and ACCC mandatory Australian standards for goods?
The fact that you are asking this question tells me you have not spoken with an accountant. Get yourself an accountant with experience in advising small businesses. The question is too wide in scope without specific details, for one thing.
4. What shipping options are available to sellers on eBay?
Post/ship as you wish. If your items are not low value (where you can afford to absorb losses for the occasional lost parcel (whether legitimate or not), you’ll be wise to use tracked postage. You can use AP or couriers or just offer local pickup. If you use AP, MyPost Business is anecdotally better and cheaper than using AP through eBay’s labels. Sendle (courier broker) has been pushed by eBay but many buyers hate it - read the boards for the various perspectives. Which method and which couriers etc you use is up to you.
Basically - and this might sound unkind - do your own research. It’s your money on the line. You should read the Help pages on eBay, in particular the ones about selling. The boards will always be here for experienced member-to-member advice, help, insight or opinion, but when you have these sorts of questions about the bedrock of being a seller, you’re going to need specialised professional information just to decide whether your plans are viable.
I’ll add one more thing. Have you ever sold anything on eBay before? In particular, have you sold anything on eBay during the last two years? If not, I strongly suggest you be registered as a new seller (you do not need to have a business account to sell/be a seller on eBay, and you’d lose the perquisites that a personal account offers), make sure you are ID-verified and bank-account-verified as per the Managed Payments requirements, be prepared for the “new seller” holds, and list a few relatively low-value items from around the house, to get used to eBay as a seller, perhaps encounter some of the pitfalls, and to build up some seller feedback. (But read the Help pages with the selling policies etc first.) There are really two separate things you need to deal with: selling on eBay, and setting up this business idea of yours. They are not the same thing and you should prepare and research both separately.
Search on help for “register as new seller” and the appropriate Help page should come up.
Good luck, and get yourself an accountant.
