benefit and selling on ebay

diane118

Hi please could some one help me my brother has been buying loads of vintage items on ebay (at least 500 items) during the last 4 years what he wants to know is he has just lost his job and on income support, in 3 month time he would like to sell these items that he bought to get some extra money would he have to declare the money he makes to income support he said he might not get back what he paid for them or he could get the same or less than what he paid for them. He says that they are his own items in his house that he does not need any more and that he does not have to declare what he makes on them, is he right. Thanks Diane

Conor_3

If he is selling items he owns privately, no. If he bought those items with the intention of selling them to make a profit, yes.

diane118

Hi thank you for your reply but how do the benefit office decide whether he bought them to sell later to make a profit or not Thanks Diane

DaisyFlower

In 3 months time he could have a new job so may be worrying over nothing.

lil_me

If he's bought them and sold them on for a profit, then it'll be seen as running a business. I don't think there are any set rules, if investigated (possibly be triggered by bank account/paypal transactions) he'd have to prove he didn't make anything on them most likely.