The Best Expense Tracker for Resellers: What to Track and Why It Matters
Most online resellers dramatically overestimate their profit. They look at what they sold an item for, subtract what they paid for it, and call that the profit. But after platform fees, shipping costs, buying trip expenses, and taxes — the actual number is often half that or less.
The right expense tracker doesn't just log receipts. It calculates your true profit per item, per platform, and per period — so you can make smart buying decisions and handle taxes without surprises.
The Expenses Most Resellers Miss (That Kill Margins)
1. Platform Fees
Every marketplace takes a cut. These fees aren't optional — they come off the top before you see the money:
| Platform | Selling Fee | On a $100 Sale You Keep |
|---|---|---|
| eBay | 13.25% + $0.30 | $86.45 |
| Poshmark | 20% | $80.00 |
| Etsy | 6.5% + $0.20 | $93.30 |
| Mercari | 10% | $90.00 |
| Depop | 10% | $90.00 |
| Amazon | 15% | $85.00 |
| 5% | $95.00 |
CashData has all these fee rates pre-loaded. When you log a sale, the fee is automatically deducted from your profit calculation.
2. Shipping Costs
Whether you charge the buyer or offer free shipping, the label cost comes out of your pocket if the buyer doesn't cover it fully. Track both what you paid for the label and what the buyer paid — the difference is your out-of-pocket shipping cost.
3. Cost of Goods
Every dollar you spent buying an item reduces your taxable profit. This includes the purchase price, auction buyer's premiums, estate sale admission fees, and any restoration or cleaning costs.
4. Buying Trip Expenses
Miles driven to thrift stores, estate sales, auctions, and storage units are deductible business mileage at the IRS rate (67¢/mile in 2024). Admission fees to estate sales and auctions are also deductible.
5. Storage and Supplies
Storage unit rent, shipping supplies (boxes, tape, bubble wrap, poly mailers), photography equipment, and listing software are all deductible business expenses.
The True Profit Formula for Resellers
Here's what your actual profit on a sale really is:
− Cost of Goods
− Platform Fee
− Shipping Label Cost (net of buyer payment)
− Proportional Buying Trip Miles
− Proportional Storage/Supply Cost
= Gross Profit
− Self-Employment Tax (~15.3%)
− Income Tax (~10–22%)
= Your Actual Take-Home
Example: You buy a vintage lamp for $25 at an estate sale, sell it on eBay for $90, pay $12 for the shipping label, and the buyer paid $0 for shipping (free shipping offer). eBay takes 13.25% ($11.93). Your gross profit before taxes: $90 − $25 − $12 − $11.93 = $41.07. After 25% tax on that profit: $30.80 take-home — not $65.
What CashData Tracks for Resellers
- Per-deal profit with auto-calculated platform fees and shipping net
- Deal pipeline: Bought → Listed → Sold → Delivered
- Source locations (track which estate sales and stores yield best margins)
- Dealer and buyer CRM (contact management)
- IRS mileage log for buying trips
- Expense categories (storage, supplies, admission fees, etc.)
- Quarterly tax calculator on all reselling income
- Year-end profit and loss report for Schedule C
Know your real profit on every sale.
CashData automatically deducts platform fees, tracks shipping, and shows your true margin — not just the sale price minus what you paid.
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