{"id":93144,"date":"2022-07-05T19:10:52","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T17:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/purchases-from-a-private-individual-in-your-accounts\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T14:32:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T12:32:46","slug":"purchases-from-a-private-individual-in-your-accounts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/blog\/purchases-from-a-private-individual-in-your-accounts\/","title":{"rendered":"Purchases from a private person in your accounts?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Selling second-hand items between private individuals happens regularly, but what if your company buys a second-hand item from a private individual?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The purchase can be anything, such as a vehicle, laptop, cell phone, printer, etc. Buying something from a private person is possible, as long as you take a number of things into account. If you do so, this kind of purchase will not adversely affect your accounting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No VAT on purchases from a private individual!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The private person you are purchasing from charges a price without VAT<\/strong>. It is therefore only natural that you cannot recover VAT<\/a> on this purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not even if that private person provides the original purchase invoice. That person first purchased from the store and received the purchase invoice, and you as an entrepreneur then purchase from that person. The private individual you buy from cannot charge VAT, that is not legally possible. Consequently, you as a business owner cannot recover VAT on the purchase from that private individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Still an expense for your accounts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here it makes no difference at all whether you purchase something from a supplier with a company number or from a private person, both purchases count perfectly as an expense for your accounting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attention, you do need a supporting document! <\/strong>You must be able to provide proof (in case of a tax audit) that you have actually purchased something and at what price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will therefore need to draw up a document together with the private individual from whom you are buying, containing a number of details. These include the seller’s details, a description of the purchase & the price.<\/p>\n\n\n