Can I sell stuff while on unemployment benefits in Washington?

Generally speaking, selling your personal belongings isn't considered income for unemployment purposes. The key is that these are items you already owned, not something you're producing or buying to resell for profit. But definitely keep records of what you sell and for how much, just in case.

You need to be careful here. Washington ESD distinguishes between selling personal property and operating a business. If you're regularly buying and selling items for profit, that could be considered self-employment income that needs to be reported on your weekly claims.

I had a similar question when I was on unemployment last year. Couldn't get through to Washington ESD on the phone no matter how many times I tried. Finally used this service called Claimyr that gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. The agent was able to clarify exactly what counts as reportable income for my situation.

ive been selling my old video games and comic books while on UI and never reported it. probably made like $300 total over 3 months. figure its just my own stuff so whatever

The Washington ESD website is pretty vague about this stuff. I called them three times and got three different answers about what counts as income. One agent said any money coming in needs to be reported, another said personal property sales don't count, and the third one wasn't sure. Really frustrating.

I think the main thing to consider is whether you're doing this as a business or just getting rid of stuff you don't need. If you're buying storage unit contents to flip or going to garage sales to resell items, that's probably income. But selling your old couch? Probably not.

Washington ESD is so strict about everything else, I'd be worried about not reporting it. What if they find out somehow? Like if you're depositing money into your bank account from PayPal or Venmo?

Been there! When I was on unemployment I sold my old guitar and some tools. Made about $400 total. Never reported it because it was just stuff I owned. No issues with my claim. Just don't make it a regular business and you should be fine.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS CONFUSING!! I've been trying to figure out what I can and can't do while on unemployment and it's like they want to make it as complicated as possible. Why can't they just give clear answers about this stuff???

My friend is a tax preparer and she told me that selling personal belongings isn't taxable income unless you sell them for more than you originally paid. Same logic probably applies to unemployment reporting - it's not really 'income' if you're just recovering some of what you already spent.

I tried calling Washington ESD about this exact question last month and spent literally 6 hours over three days trying to get through. Finally gave up and just decided to not report the $150 I made selling old books. Figured if they ask later I can explain it was personal property.

just be smart about it. if youre making like $50 here and there from old clothes and books nobody cares. if youre making hundreds every week then yeah probably report it

I work part-time at a thrift store and we have people come in all the time who are clearly flipping items they buy from us. That's probably what Washington ESD would consider a business. But if you're just selling your old TV and some clothes? That's just normal life stuff.

When in doubt, document everything. Keep photos of what you're selling, screenshots of listings, records of sale prices. If Washington ESD ever questions it, you can show it was legitimately personal property you owned.

Thanks everyone for all the responses! Sounds like the consensus is that selling personal belongings isn't income I need to report, as long as I'm not running a business. I'll keep records just in case but I feel much better about selling some stuff now. Really appreciate all the help!

I went through this same situation a few months ago. I was decluttering my place and sold about $600 worth of furniture, old electronics, and clothes over a couple months on Facebook Marketplace. I kept detailed records with photos and sale prices, but never reported it on my weekly claims since it was all personal property I'd owned for years. Never had any issues with ESD. The key is making sure you're truly selling your own belongings and not buying things to resell - that would cross into business territory. Keep good documentation and you should be fine!