Mystery Shopping Thread 20 **PLEASE DO NOT MENTION CLIENT NAMES OR FEES ON HERE**

jen_br

bylromarha wrote: »

EUGH!

Have just done a petrol visit for React.

Address said it was on a major road. Address postcode sent me to minor road close to the major road. No petrol station on the minor road, but 2 with the wrong postcode on the major road. By looking at the map, I think I chose the right one on the major road - the road name on receipt is the same, but company owning the franchise is different and obviously, the postcode is different!

What a palaver!

Was it a scottish one by chance...

cassie46

Lil_Me wrote: »

What aren't you sure about? The general gist is that you have to register with hmrc as self employed, do a tax return every year and pay tax on any profit that you make. NI payments will depend on your personal circumstances and whether you pay NI through any other means.

And yes. 100% needed on gap tests. I think you get 3 goes.

Thank you

This bit confuses me "You may also be required to pay class 2 National Insurance at the rate of £2.30 a week, but only if you earn more than £5,075(between 06/04/08 and 05/04/09) after expenses in any one year through Self Employment. This means earning more than £4,825 in addition to your other sources of income. If you think you will earn less than £5,075 in the financial year, then you can apply for a “Certificate of Small Earnings Exception” which means you will not have to pay NI (National Insurance) Contributions. The Exception application can be found at the end of this document CF10 - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/cf10.pdf" I earn 14k in my full time job so would this mean I would have to pay extra NI?

With the tax return each year do you just keep track of your profits then and minus any expenses you have and collate the info at the end of the year?

Also I have joined gap first as that what was suggested would you recommend just going with that one first or joining so more and if so which ones to start with?

KoalaBear_2

Just signed upto GFK... quick question, I only work part time hours as it is . and if I just do mystery shopping for 20-30 a week on average what NI nd Tax do I have to pay.

Sorry, I just really don't understand it >.<

serendipity2706

jen_br wrote: »

Was it a scottish one by chance...

One of mine last month was like that, was on a island in the middle of a main road, nearly killed getting in, then nearly killed again getting out...

Lil_Me_2

cassie46 wrote: »

I earn 14k in my full time job so would this mean I would have to pay extra NI?

Assuming you pay NI through your full time job then no, unless you earn over the £5k ish threshold which is unlikely if you're doing it on top of your full time job like I am. When you register as self employed ask them for a small earning exemptions certificate.

cassie46 wrote: »

With the tax return each year do you just keep track of your profits then and minus any expenses you have and collate the info at the end of the year?

Yep! Most of us keep a simple spreadsheet with each individual job we do. Suggested headings are -

Date
Company
Job
Fee (income)
Reimbursement (income)
Purchases (expense)
Printing costs (expense - 6p per sheet)
Mileage (expense - 45p per mile)
Other expenses (parking etc)
Profit/Loss

Also worth noting when you get paid.

cassie46 wrote: »

Also I have joined gap first as that what was suggested would you recommend just going with that one first or joining so more and if so which ones to start with?

Gap are good to start with as whilst the fees are low the orientations are very thorough and the jobs are easy. If you mess up you won't be paid, but it won't be a huge loss. They're good to get the basic principles of MSing.

Another one with lots of nationwide jobs are Retail Eyes.

debsjc

I have a tax question for those who work for TMDC. Would you have to pay tax on the cost of the meal? I'm not too keen on paying 20% of a meal I am only ordering for an assignment.

Lil_Me_2

debsjc wrote: »

I have a tax question for those who work for TMDC. Would you have to pay tax on the cost of the meal? I'm not too keen on paying 20% of a meal I am only ordering for an assignment.

I don't work for TMDC, is there a fee or is it just reimbursement?

If it's just reimbursement then you'll be hard pushed to say you did the job for any other reason than to get the meal.

However generally you can put down whatever, as long as you're prepared to explain your reasons to the tax man should he ask!

debsjc

Lil_Me wrote: »

I don't work for TMDC, is there a fee or is it just reimbursement?

If it's just reimbursement then you'll be hard pushed to say you did the job for any other reason than to get the meal.

However generally you can put down whatever, as long as you're prepared to explain your reasons to the tax man should he ask!

It's just reimbursement. I'm not sure how it would work, it's just the meals can be expensive, and I would only very rarely spend that in my normal life. To pay out 20% of it makes it not really worth doing.

Lil_Me_2

debsjc wrote: »

It's just reimbursement. I'm not sure how it would work, it's just the meals can be expensive, and I would only very rarely spend that in my normal life. To pay out 20% of it makes it not really worth doing.

Well you obviously take off mileage and other expenses, so that should eat into the 20% but I think you need to see it as 80% off a meal.

Do TMDC pay any fees at all for any jobs? For example could you argue that you do the no fee jobs purely to get your foot in the door to work your way up to platinum where you can get fee paying jobs?

serendipity2706

Lil_Me wrote: »

Well you obviously take off mileage and other expenses, so that should eat into the 20% but I think you need to see it as 80% off a meal.

Do TMDC pay any fees at all for any jobs? For example could you argue that you do the no fee jobs purely to get your foot in the door to work your way up to platinum where you can get fee paying jobs?

There are some fees jobs and you pay the meal yourself, but these are only after you have been with them a while