Income tax on Cashback website incomes & paid surveys

niren_m

Hi,

I have been getting money from Cash back websites and online paid survey. I have started all these from sep 08. Can anyone help me on Incometax related questions please?

1. Do i have to pay / declair my income earned as a Cash/ vouchers through Cashback websites & Online survey to HMRC?

2. If answer of above questions is yes than how do i do that?

3. Do i need to register myself as a Self employed?

Thanks for any help you provide.

Elaine_Wilson

The money received from cashback sites would normally be treated as a discount on the product purchased so would not be taxable. I am assuming that you only get paid when you actually buy something from the referred site.

I'm not sure of the postion re online surveys. I doubt HMRC would be interested unless you managed to secure a decent income from them.

bristolleedsfan

HMRC regard cashback as "rewards" and not liable to income tax irrespective of how they are obtained with the exception of referral bonuses which its believed are regarded as income and liable to tax subject to individual circumstances.

kell.b

Why are referal bonuses regarded as income? You don't get that much from them.

PolishBigSpender

In short : declare your income.

Bearing in mind the powers that HMRC have, it's simply not worth evading tax.

david69_2

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

In short : declare your income.

Bearing in mind the powers that HMRC have, it's simply not worth evading tax.

but its not income its cashback

PolishBigSpender

david69 wrote: »

but its not income its cashback

'Paid' surveys sound like income to me.

System

I've done tax returns. It doesn't include cashback/loyalty point etc but I declare all money and vouchers received from surveys as this is counted as income.

KILL_BILL

in respect of surveys - your not working on behalf of the company so in effect therefore it is not classed as income which needs to be declared as tax.

System

I like to play it safe. There is a section on the tax return asking if you received any monetary reward in the form of gifts, vouchers etc. Its what I feel happy with.

PeterJ77

I've been conducting paid surveys and mystery shops for years now and have been self assessing for as many years because of the income they generate. I ended up with a combination status of part employed, part self-employed. Brings NI stuff with it too.

As little as it might be you could actually end up with a refund of tax - by doing this sort of thing you can legitimately claim:
£2 per week out of pocket expense without receipts
A small offset against your Broadband Bill if you doing it all online
Mileage allowance again any travelling for a visit/survey (keep the parking fee ticket too!)

Don't think the revenue would accept 'you're not working on behalf of a company' - you must be doing it for somebody?