Ultimate Team trading: the 5% tax and how not to lose coins

The 5% tax on every sale

Every sale on the transfer market loses 5% to EA. If you sell a card for 10,000 coins you receive 9,500. The tax is charged on the sale price, not on the profit, so even a sale at a loss pays tax.

That means that to break even you have to sell for more than you paid: the sale price must be at least the purchase price divided by 0.95.

Market price steps

The market does not accept any value. Below 1,000 coins prices move in steps of 50; up to 10,000, in steps of 100; up to 50,000, in steps of 250; up to 100,000, in steps of 500; and above that, in steps of 1,000.

Because of the steps, the minimum sale price almost always ends up slightly above the exact maths. If you bought for 10,000 you need 10,527 to break even, but that price does not exist on the market; the first valid price that covers the cost is 10,750.

• Bought for 1,000: sell for at least 1,100.
• Bought for 10,000: sell for at least 10,750.
• Bought for 50,000: sell for at least 53,000.

Where profit comes from

Prices rise and fall with demand. Cards used in SBCs get more expensive when a challenge asks for that rating or league. Strong cards tend to drop when a new promo brings better versions. Buying before demand and selling during it is the basis of most strategies.

The FCUTeam risers and fallers page shows the cards that rose and fell the most in the last 24 hours, and every card page has its price history. Use them to avoid buying at the top of a spike.

Track every purchase

Without notes it is easy to think you are making a profit when the tax has already taken it all. The FCUTeam portfolio records each purchase with the price paid, shows what you would receive selling now at the market price, after tax, and keeps the profit of every closed sale.

Before listing a card, the tax calculator shows how much will reach your account and the minimum price to avoid losing coins.

Risks

The Ultimate Team market can drop quickly during big promos, and cards bought to resell can stay below the price paid for months. Do not put all your coins into a single card and be wary of any promise of guaranteed profit. FCUTeam prices are community averages, not official EA quotes.