MYSTERY SHOPPING THREAD 17 - please don't mention client names or fees on here!!

mysterious_girl

Just love ESA. They rang back to say that I could do my visits tomorrow that were due today. Fingers crossed that the weather is better tomorrow.

20 minutes later I get a phone call again. Would I do an URGENT assignment in a village - needs to done this afternoon. "We will pay for your petrol." :eek:

You can only get to this place via country lanes. Will they pay for my funeral too?

Are they completely mental????????????????

I didn't postpone my today assignments just for the hell of it. There's a blizzard blowing right now.

jen_br

TNS did the same to me... Oh well can you do it tomorrow? Ummmm let me think about that... tomorrow tomorrow theres another 20cm due to fall tonight! moron

Skiergirl

Chopsie&Chelvis wrote: »

I think you're near me, Manchester area aren't you MG? I have a job at the Trafford centre tonight which I might cancel. It was fine when I arrived at work at 8am, but I'm in a windowless office, so no idea what it's like now. Might wander upstairs for a peek out then make the decision.

mysterious_girl wrote: »

Yes I was on the motorway between Northenden and Wythenshawe when the s**t hit the fan. Its snowing again now and I really need to get out to get supplies for my other job but I'm just waiting to see what it does outside.

I was in the Trafford Centre when it hit this morning. I was in such a hurry to get home then, I think I've messed up the job I was doing there

Chopsie - if you do go be careful as even the undercover paths to the car parks are really icy, as people have walked in, the snow has melted and refrozen !

Skiergirl

mysterious_girl wrote: »

Just love ESA. They rang back to say that I could do my visits tomorrow that were due today. Fingers crossed that the weather is better tomorrow.

20 minutes later I get a phone call again. Would I do an URGENT assignment in a village - needs to done this afternoon. "We will pay for your petrol." :eek:

You can only get to this place via country lanes. Will they pay for my funeral too?

Are they completely mental????????????????

I didn't postpone my today assignments just for the hell of it. There's a blizzard blowing right now.

S'funny - I had a call like that too and turned it down :rotfl:

serendipity2706

Just started blizzarding here in Dundee!!!
Got so many jobs postponed now,I'll need 2 weeks to catch up!

Chocforever

The_Pixi wrote: »

Hi hoping someone can quickly explain to me about Tax and stuff,

I registered years ago with a mystery shopping company and now I have a job and moved to london they contacted me in june to see if I wanted to do an online shop, they only pay £7 but you get refunded for the shopping.

I see all this stuff here about Tax and National insurance, do i register self employed even though I have a full time job?

do I only pay tax - NI on money earned from Mystery shopping? so as long as I dont earn over £5k mystery shopping I shouldnt have to pay anything or will my income from my proper job make it complex.

Also as the shopping is refunded and then given to me as it essentially becomes a by-product of the process does that mean I have only earned £14 for the two shops (meaning do i include the cost of the 'Free' shopping)

advice would be great.

I am not sure where the £5k comes from, but in the 2010-11 tax year, the personal tax allowance is £6,475. This means you can earn £6,475 of income from any sources before you pay tax. However, if you are an employee, this will have already been factored into your PAYE coding, so if you earn more than £6,475 from your employment, you will not have any personal tax allowance left to set against your mystery shopping income.

You will end up paying your highest rate of income tax on the mystery shopping income, so if, for example, you normally pay some basic rate tax (20% income tax), you will pay 20% income tax on any profits you earn from mystery shopping until you reach the 40% tax band.

You will need to register as self employed. This is what tells HMRC that you have a new source of income and that they will need to collect the tax from this income via a tax return.

The fees earned from mystery shopping plus reimbursements are taxable income. There may be costs you can deduct from the income to arrive at the taxable profit. Tax deductible costs are those incurred wholly and exclusively for the assignment, and are typically printing costs, mileage, parking costs. Sometimes the cost of the purchase can be deducted (please see previous posts on this), but normally they cannot. For example, with groceries, you are not just getting them for the mystery shop (unless you destroy them all afterwards); instead you will eat or use them for personal benefit.

Hope that helps.

mysterious_girl

Jumping for joy! Just picked up a massive fee assignment for hardly any work within 5 minutes walk from my house for next week so even if its snowing I can do it.

That's if the staff make it in

Becles

Getting worried about the amount of work I'm pushing into next week now. I'm going to have to work flat out to get through it all, assuming the snow clears!

mimi1234

Managed to get my horde done and came home alive. 2 more silver bracelets and heaps of posh glam choc (Mom's gonna be well pleased!). Could have expired though what with the forever falling snow and the bitter cold. Note to self, never do 8 shops in weather like this! Got a phone call from the man from ESA asking me to do a visit that was miles away with no extra fee or reimbursement. Almost told him to **** off. Only 3 reports to do now and then bed time. Hallelujah. Hope everyone else got some of theirs done.

misssarahleigh

mimi1234 wrote: »

Managed to get my horde done and came home alive. 2 more silver bracelets and heaps of posh glam choc (Mom's gonna be well pleased!). Could have expired though what with the forever falling snow and the bitter cold. Note to self, never do 8 shops in weather like this! Got a phone call from the man from ESA asking me to do a visit that was miles away with no extra fee or reimbursement. Almost told him to **** off. Only 3 reports to do now and then bed time. Hallelujah. Hope everyone else got some of theirs done.

mimi1234, from what you keep posting latley it seems like your doing ms full time. You not work in hudds anymore?

Is that why i have so many jobs at the mo lol