The Mystery Shopping thread - VIII

gallygirl

Two hands is def. how it should be done & it comes from Far East (I was told to do with Chinese clients) - I believe it is to show you don't have a weapon concealed in your other hand

jdan9

ukmonkey wrote: »

DebtHater, whilst your post is really helpful (which is great, keep it up!), you've really mentioned too many specifics.

Could you please edit your post, perhaps removing the purchase amount and the fee? It would take a genuis to work out which store you're talking about, so you've pretty much broken every rule in "the book".

Don't take it personally, we all need to watch what we're saying.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the clue the OP has given - most of our clues are like that, think of "golden arch" burgers, "blue every little helps" supermarket, "underground" sandwich shop.

BUT do take out the fees and reimbursement amount.

aplaceinthesun

ukmonkey wrote: »

Guys, I'm working on a spreadsheet that will work stuff out out and keep a log for you etc etc, should be ready in a couple of weeks.

Thats fab thanks , will watch out for when youve done it :T

DJChris

Hi

I've been mystery shopping for years and never got round to registering as self employed.

Now I have built up regular work I want to 'go legal'.

Do I have to state when I started and work out years of back-tax, or don't they ask, or should I lie....

Any help or opinions very much welcome!

Chris

DebtHater

ukmonkey wrote: »

DebtHater, whilst your post is really helpful (which is great, keep it up!), you've really mentioned too many specifics.

Could you please edit your post, perhaps removing the purchase amount and the fee?

Sorry about that, I see what you mean about being too specific

Post edited :beer:

DebtHater

DJChris wrote: »

Do I have to state when I started and work out years of back-tax, or don't they ask, or should I lie....

I know which one I would do, but it wouldn't be the legal choice if you get what I mean

Technically you have to register as self-employed within your first 3 months otherwise you can incur a penalty - going up to them and saying "oh sorry, I forgot to do it" or any other excuse can result in a potential penalty plus a large tax bill.

Dont forget that with the Inland Revenue, if you owe it to them they will make you pay in any way they can

ukmonkey

DJChris wrote: »

Hi

I've been mystery shopping for years and never got round to registering as self employed.

Now I have built up regular work I want to 'go legal'.

Do I have to state when I started and work out years of back-tax, or don't they ask, or should I lie....

Any help or opinions very much welcome!

Chris

Ok, we really need to be careful discussing this on this forum, we cannot be seen to be breaking the law.

Now, to my actual reply...

I'm probably amongst the lower part of this group in terms of morals when it comes to the Government, law, big corporation etc, but I would not lie to the tax man, do NOT f**k with the tax man. Like DebtHater says, if you owe them money, you WILL be pay them, be under no illusions.

It's a very difficult situation. Do you come clean and they either say:

1. Ok, thanks for coming clean, just pay us the tax you owe from the last 2 years
or
2. Thanks for fessing up, we want the last two years' tax, with interest, and btw, here's a fine for not registering on time and a fine for xyz too.

Or,

Do you just register now, lie about when you commenced self-employment and risk them finding you out and you getting into even worse trouble than the first scenario?

My philosophy is that if you give them some information, they'll be less likely to interfere too much. There's a key word in that last sentence.

jdan9

I was technically over the 3 month limit by a couple of weeks when I registered and they overlooked it - but that is obviously much less than what you have.

I don't think it's likely they'd look very favourably on you - as monkey says they'd 99.999999% certainly want tax from the last 2 years (and you probably don't even have accounts from then do you?), and I think it's very likely they'd give you the £100 fine too.

BUT, the longer you keep it from them, the more likely they'll find out, and the less pleased they'll be with you when they do find out...

I think you're probably better telling them. You might get some minimum-wage-earning clerk deal with your form, who doesn't notice the date you started... never know!

duchy

Will someone please go onto RE and take that London doughnut job-I'm having a hard time resisting it !!!

creaker

has anyone done a bookie and not stayed the minimum time and if so, have you tweaked your time or just honestly put time in/out even if less than the minimum.