MYSTERY SHOPPING THREAD 19 - please don't mention client names or fees on here!!

_nate

DevilsAdvocate1 wrote: »

The person involved paid for an accountant to help her argue this point and the concession was made that 50% of all the reimbursements for all the jobs she had done would be taxable. The tax office did not relent.

And if you work another job already and do lots of Gapburgers mainly for the fee, you could end up being taxed on the whole thing (gutting for me as I just used to take one bite, one chip and throw the rest away).

D.

Well, that is the problem. I often don't want the things I have to buy. They are not a benefit if all I do is throw them away. I would rather not make an argument for each job individually - based on whether I "want" the purchase: the easiest thing to do is to treat them all as legitimate expenses, which I genuinely believe they are.

Also, if you do a job incorrectly and don't get paid, the inference from what you say above seems to be that it would be illegitimate to declare this as a loss.

I am curious as to what a "second hand" value of 50% means in the context of food. Also, some of the restaurants are over-priced: I would never regard the food as being worth the money paid but when it's reimbursed, it's OK.

All in all, I think there's a potentially huge can of worms here and a lot of scope for argument. I would drastically change my mystery shopping behaviour if I considered the purchases taxable benefits and not legitimate business expenses.

DevilsAdvocate1

I agree with you, Nate, and this is why I don't take fee free jobs. But each to their own. The other thing to bear in mind with reimbursement only jobs is that I have occasionally seen vouchers which offer a better discount and you don't have to do a report when you get home!

D.

mysterious_girl

jen_br wrote: »

Yup I refuse to do reimbursement only I rather the company take 1.00 off the reimbursement and make it a fee!

I thought you did secret eating company assignments? No?

xxvickixx

Wow, those ESA fruity phone audits are awful. So much to remember, can't use your phone for notes and then have to try and covertly take a close up photo, not from an angle while also inspecting their window display,not to mention the cover story that makes you look a fool.

I would expect double the fee if I'm ever to do one again.

jen_br

mysterious_girl wrote: »

I thought you did secret eating company assignments? No?

I do but those are specifically when im doing over nights or out for other assignments -- therefore you can claim so much for a meal.

I am very careful with what I claim for and this is half the reason I pay everyday (and claim for) an accountant to do my books I find the 75.00 I pay I earn back very quickly and it gives me peice of mind that my chances of being audited are a bit lower and also a second set of eyes can help

squidgeum

xxvickixx wrote: »

Wow, those ESA fruity phone audits are awful. So much to remember, can't use your phone for notes and then have to try and covertly take a close up photo, not from an angle while also inspecting their window display,not to mention the cover story that makes you look a fool.

I would expect double the fee if I'm ever to do one again.

They're awful aren't they? I wouldn't do another either, but no chance of double the fee. They'll probably be on at £1 or £2 less next time......and they'll get taken. :eek:

MrsGSR

I tried to print over my paperwork for gap today and a few pages just wouldn't print, does anyone else have this problem?

mysterious_girl

squidgeum wrote: »

They're awful aren't they? I wouldn't do another either, but no chance of double the fee. They'll probably be on at £1 or £2 less next time......and they'll get taken. :eek:

I did 4 the other day. Hated it. Never again unless fee increase. So in other words, never again.

pinkprincess39

MrsGSR wrote: »

I tried to print over my paperwork for gap today and a few pages just wouldn't print, does anyone else have this problem?

yes in firefox only the 1st page prints. In IE it works ok for me

mamashaz

MrsGSR wrote: »

I tried to print over my paperwork for gap today and a few pages just wouldn't print, does anyone else have this problem?

It often doesn't work with Firefox for me so I use Internet Explorer when printing out GAP paperwork.

Pinkprincess beat me to it!