The Mystery Shopping thread - VIII

Tesco_points_addict

Just had a phone call from GAP asking me to change a date for a job from next week to tomorrow. They have offered to give me some other jobs to compensate for this....whats the betting I don't get those jobs:rotfl:

TPAx

DJChris

cte1111 wrote: »

I think your best bet is to look back through your bank statements, and put into a spreadsheet what your MS income was by month. Then put in an 'average' deduction, e.g. mileage to the sort of sites that you were usually visiting, any purchases that you were required to make, and work out how much net income you are left with. Then declare this to the tax people when you set up as self employed.

Your income is likely to be so low that they aren't going to be too hassled about it.

Thanks CTE1111.

I really do think honesty is the best policy....but i still feel worried about getting a tax bill of thousands...

KILL_BILL

when going to put on the results for a bank job on gfk i wondered why that i couldnt and found that they had since printing off the coversheet and questionare redone the test questions

they stated that they -gfk have not paid some 50 assesors of the bank wave due to the fact that people have not done the reports right

i dont know how true that is but it does sound quite a few

are they using scare tatics ?

DJChris

ukmonkey wrote: »

Google "backdated tax" and read the first result, some forum thread about a musician. I realise it'd be quicker to find it and just send the link, but I cba, sorry! :-)

Thanks ukmonkey i will have a look now......

Tesco_points_addict

KILL_BILL wrote: »

when going to put on the results for a bank job on gfk i wondered why that i couldnt and found that they had since printing off the coversheet and questionare redone the test questions

they stated that they -gfk have not paid some 50 assesors of the bank wave due to the fact that people have not done the reports right

i dont know how true that is but it does sound quite a few

are they using scare tatics ?

I have done two of these this week, can you tell me a bit more about the problem? I will be gutted if I don't get payment.

TPAx

johnny_c-l

DJChris - You asked this question in March and also October last year. So it's clearly a worry for you. The longer it goes on the greater the worry will be and (possibly) the greater your bill!

I would say contact them (perhaps in person if possible) and sort it out. At least then you would have a clear conscience and can go 'legal' as you say you have wanted to.

I wouldn't have a clue about if you'd be billed for 1000's or not, but my guess (and it is a guess) is that their priority would be reclaiming that tax, and so perhaps if the bill were large they'd be able to spread the payments out over a period of time.

Personally I feel there is a moral obligation to do 'come clean' as well as the legal obligation. You said you have a normal job so presumably pay tax on your main income.....since you are (usually!) a law abiding tax payer and the MS earnings are so small it looks in your favour to begin with.

DJChris

johnny_c-l wrote: »

DJChris - You asked this question in March and also October last year. So it's clearly a worry for you. The longer it goes on the greater the worry will be and (possibly) the greater your bill!

I would say contact them (perhaps in person if possible) and sort it out. At least then you would have a clear conscience and can go 'legal' as you say you have wanted to.

I wouldn't have a clue about if you'd be billed for 1000's or not, but my guess (and it is a guess) is that their priority would be reclaiming that tax, and so perhaps if the bill were large they'd be able to spread the payments out over a period of time.

Personally I feel there is a moral obligation to do 'come clean' as well as the legal obligation. You said you have a normal job so presumably pay tax on your main income.....since you are (usually!) a law abiding tax payer and the MS earnings are so small it looks in your favour to begin with.

Hi Johnny

Yes I have asked before and yes it is something i am worried about. It is so hard to take that final jump into the pool. I feel the moral obligation, so it is pressurising for me, you're right.

I am law abiding in every other way, this feels like a little nagging scratch that I really need to get sorted once and for all. It does weigh on my conscience.

Yet still...the tax people seem to be a big, inflexible, inhuman giant that won't give 2 hoots about my naivety...and that's what stops me. It shouldn't i know. So i feel great earning a few extra pounds, helping companies improve their customer service etc...but at the same time having the worry and pressure about not declaring the income. I suppose I justify it because each amount is so small...

It is such a difficult decision...I suppose getting all these supportive comments is helping...and presumably there must be some people on here who have been in a similar situation to me so it would be nice to know that too.

It sounds like a trip to the tax office would be a good first step. Could I go in off the street and make an anonymous enquiry about this??

ukmonkey

DJChris wrote: »

Hi Johnny

Yes I have asked before and yes it is something i am worried about. It is so hard to take that final jump into the pool. I feel the moral obligation, so it is pressurising for me, you're right.

I am law abiding in every other way, this feels like a little nagging scratch that I really need to get sorted once and for all. It does weigh on my conscience.

Yet still...the tax people seem to be a big, inflexible, inhuman giant that won't give 2 hoots about my naivety...and that's what stops me. It shouldn't i know. So i feel great earning a few extra pounds, helping companies improve their customer service etc...but at the same time having the worry and pressure about not declaring the income. I suppose I justify it because each amount is so small...

It is such a difficult decision...I suppose getting all these supportive comments is helping...and presumably there must be some people on here who have been in a similar situation to me so it would be nice to know that too.

It sounds like a trip to the tax office would be a good first step. Could I go in off the street and make an anonymous enquiry about this??

Just do it Chris, no anonymity, no bullsh*t, just go in person to your local tax office and explain the circumstances.

Take all your records with you, bank statrements etc.

It wouldn't be worth their time in dragging you through the courts so you're not going to get sent down for it I'm 99.99% sure of that!

jdan9

Timmne wrote: »

IMO I think all three of those descriptions are too revealing- ive resisted saying anything in the past as people think I'm being over cautious.

I don't understand why anyone needs to say any more than "TNS phone shop" for example. Anyone registered with TNS would know who the client is anywy.

I think you have a point there actually, and I did think that as I wrote my post, but thought that since nobody ever objects to these descriptions, they must be widely accepted as okay.

Perhaps you are right, perhaps we should encourage a bit of a crack-down in case the MS companies don't like it?

tbw

DJChris wrote: »

Thanks CTE1111.

I really do think honesty is the best policy....but i still feel worried about getting a tax bill of thousands...

I don't see how you can get a bill for thousands - unless you have been earning a lot of extra dosh and/or you've been at it for years!!! I'm pretty sure the Tax guys can go back a lot further than 2 years - 7 years rings a bell but that might be the time limit for people to claim back overpaid tax rather than the Tax Office nobbling you ifyswim. I suspect (but its only a calculated guess) that they can go back as far as the like.

But, assuming that you have used up all your tax free allowances and the lower rate tax band with your 'regular' paye job, then you will only have to pay 22p in the £ on any MS profits. If you take out the reimbursements for stuff which you HAD to buy in order to do the job, your mileage allowance of 40p per mile (adjusted if any companies have paid you anything towards your mileage), your printing costs @6p per page, a bit for telephone calls , internet connections - and anything else that you can think of (YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE A QUICK WORD WITH THAT PRAT OF A SPEAKER -OR ANY OTHER MP IF YOU WANT A FEW TIPS ON WHAT YOU CAN SWING AS AN ALLOWABLE EXPENSE!!!) you will likely find that you really haven't made much profit at all.