Reseller profit calculator after fees, shipping and storage.

Worked example

A seller buys an item for $15 and pays $1.20 sales tax and $1.00 in gas. It sells on eBay for $60 with a $8 label and $1 of supplies. The fee is 13.6% of $60 plus the $0.40 order fee, so $8.56. Storage is $60 a month shared by 40 items held 45 days, which is $2.25 per item, and the $15 of capital at 10% a year for 45 days adds $0.18. Net profit is $22.81, a margin of 38.0% and an ROI of 79.6% on the money and costs put in. At half an hour per item that is $45.61 an hour before tax. With 70% sell-through across 20 listed items, expected profit per listed item falls to $14.93, or $298.66 for the batch.

Methodology

Fees = (sale price + shipping the buyer pays) × platform % + per-order fee + ad % × sale price. The presets use the fee base each platform states: item price plus buyer-paid shipping. Storage per item = monthly storage cost ÷ units sharing it × (days to sell ÷ 30). Holding cost = buy price × annual rate × days ÷ 365. Net profit subtracts every cost from everything the buyer pays. Expected profit per listed item = sell-through × net − (1 − sell-through) × (storage + holding + supplies), because an unsold item still occupied space and money but its purchase cost remains in inventory. The break-even sale price solves net = 0, holding the other inputs fixed.

The tax set-aside is a percentage you choose, applied only to positive profit; losses are not assumed to reduce any tax. Sellers in the US report resale profit as self-employment income in many cases, and the IRS page below gives the 15.3% self-employment tax rate, but your real liability depends on your whole return, so use the 1099 set-aside calculator or a professional.

How to use it well

Run the same item twice: once at the price you hope for and once at the price you would accept after a month. If the second run still clears your time value, the flip is robust. Raise days to sell and units held to see why a crowded shelf of slow stock quietly erodes profit. Use the Custom platform option for category fees, a store subscription rate or a promoted-listing ad rate.

Differences from our other calculators

The eBay fee calculator and its Poshmark, Mercari and Depop siblings go deep on one platform’s fee rules; the thrift flip profit calculator is a quick buy-versus-sell check. This page adds the holding side: storage, capital, sell-through and time.

What this page does not cover

• Category-specific fee tiers, store subscriptions and cap rules; use Custom or the platform calculators.
• Returns, chargebacks, lost parcels and shipping insurance.
• State sales tax you collect and remit as a seller, and your real income tax. General information only, not advice.
• Bulk lots where the cost is split across many items; enter the per-item share.

Sources (retrieved October 2026)

• eBay fee tables: 13.6% final value fee for most categories (up to $7,500 per item) and the per-order fee of $0.30 on orders of $10.00 or less and $0.40 above. Categories differ; check yours. Retrieved October 2026.
• Poshmark Fee Policy: Flat $2.95 under $15 and 20% from $15 for US sellers. Retrieved October 2026.
• Mercari Help Center, fee structure: Flat 10% selling fee on item price plus buyer-paid shipping. Retrieved October 2026.
• Depop Help Centre, seller fees and charges: Payment processing of 3.3% + $0.45 for US sellers and no selling fee in the US. Retrieved October 2026.
• IRS, Self-employment tax: The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%. This site only offers a user-chosen set-aside percentage; your actual tax depends on your whole return. Retrieved October 2026.

Every other number on this page is an input you type or a labelled example. Platform fees change and differ by category, so confirm them on the platform before relying on a result.

FAQ

How do I calculate profit after eBay fees and shipping?

Add what the buyer pays, subtract the percentage fee on item plus buyer-paid shipping, the per-order fee, your label, supplies and what you paid for the item. This page does that and also subtracts storage and capital cost.

What is a good profit margin for reselling?

There is no universal number. Compare the margin and the profit per hour against your own alternatives and the time the item took; results vary by category and platform.

How is storage cost per item calculated?

Monthly storage cost divided by the units sharing it, multiplied by days to sell divided by 30. Three weeks of a shared shelf costs far less than a quarter in a rented unit.

Does sell-through change profit?

Yes. Unsold listings still tie up space, money and supplies, so expected profit per listed item is lower than profit per sold item.

Are the platform fees current?

They were read from each platform’s own pages in October 2026. Platforms change fees and vary by category, so use the Custom option to match your listing.