Vinted and universal credit

[Kizzywizzy42]

started buying and selling on vinted about 2.5 years ago. For the first year I was mainly selling my own items but got the bug and started buying small lots to resell. I registered as a sole trader in January, opened a pro account and informed UC as soon as I registered as a sole trader. I have been reporting my income and expenses to them since January but I am worried they will go back to the previous year and realise I have a lot of vinted sales on my bank statements and I should have been reporting sooner. A lot of it was for my personal items but there will be a few items I have bought to resell. I am really worried now that they will question this and don't know a way forward.
Will I be in big trouble? I'm very anxious thanks

Yeah you could go to prison for fraud

it depends how much you have profited from the sales but I can’t imagine for one minute you’ll go to prison.

FFS so over the top and not true. Why lie and post shit like that?

You (everybody) should report income from sales for tax and benefit purposes. Unless the rules have changed recently, we're allowed to make £1,000 in a year before it affects benefits.

Well done for getting on top of this as soon as you started being a business; a lot of sellers don't. HMRC has a team checking frequent Vinted and Ebay sellers for signs that they're doing it as a business.

I'm pretty sure you'll be okay. It would be more prudent to check this with CAB or some other advisory service before asking the DWP directly as, if they penalise you wrongly, it will be a pain to untangle.

You will not be going to prison for making a few hundred quid out of your unused personal belongings!

I really wouldn't worry.

They also have far more to worry about your dodgy year on vinted, and they likely won't even cross check what you have reported. They are to busy chasing dodgy PIP claimants. You registered in January also, showing compliance. Even if I'm completely wrong, and they do pick it up...that will also be a credit to you.

I work in housing and even the cheekiest of fraudulent monkeys I have dealt with, have not been to prison..most of them have not even been in court! That said, it's an oversight, not a deliberate act. You will be fine.

The £1000 thing and benefits are totally different issues.
You are allowed to make up to £1000 per year if you are a trader, as in you have a business. Buying to sell would come under that. Over £1000 is the point you need to report your earnings to HMRC. You wont pay tax though... you just need to report it.

If you are just selling your own second hand stuff, you don't need to report anything to HMRC.

If you are on UC, you only need to tell them if you are a trader, as in buying to sell. You will have to register as self employed and report your profits every month.
If you are just selling your own second had stuff, you don't need to tell DWP anything unless your capital goes over £6k.

The worst that can happen is they decide they have over paid you and will take it out of your UC.