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

yonk

Lil_Me wrote: »

Most students aren't entitled to benefits. Also, most courses have 12 hours contact time per week and only run for 24 weeks a year. Plenty of spare time to work.

It's very course dependent. My first degree was 30+ hours a week and my second around about 7. Thought it was only Oxbridge that did 8-week terms though...

matthewluck

Hi, hope everyone is well. Just wondering, has anyone been paid yet for the TNS phone manufacturer shops (not the syndicated ones in superstores) completed in August? I've not had my payslip yet!

Lil_Me_2

yonk wrote: »

It's very course dependent. My first degree was 30+ hours a week and my second around about 7. Thought it was only Oxbridge that did 8-week terms though...

Oh yeh, totally course dept. The "average" course is 12 ish though. Also we don't do 8 week terms, we have 2 x 12 week terms, but then you need to take into account the unofficial reading weeks, and the fact that nothing gets taught in the last week before christmas and exams, so in reality its more like 20 weeks a year lol.

System

jen_br wrote: »

Ahem-- You know the BEST 75.00 Ive ever spent per year? And its an expense--- its for my accountant thats what he charges me to do my books. He is licenced and makes the system work hes fab!

Surely no one needs an accountant?!

What do they do that you can't do?

Lil_Me_2

berbastrike wrote: »

Surely no one needs an accountant?!

What do they do that you can't do?

I believe Jen shops full time, travels very far and wide and also does video jobs. So I suspect that as far as having a successful business goes she's probably doing alright. Any other business with a reasonable turnover would employ an accountant, so it's no different in this case really.

How is everyones diary looking at the moment? I'm taking a small break as I'm busy with work work, just doing my regulars and last minute begging jobs.

Chas

Lil_Me wrote: »

just doing my regulars

Are you still referring to mystery shopping .............:eek: ?

Lil_Me wrote: »

and last minute begging jobs.

Do begging jobs pay well? :rotfl: Not sure quite how the tax man will view income gained from begging :rotfl:


* sorry, couldn't resist, I'll get my coat & won't slam the door on the way out

matthewluck

berbastrike wrote: »

I have never had any benefits before and i find it embarrassing asking lol.

Im going to uni next year but this year, I am not going to do too much, just some MS, and maybe some travelling in the UK.

I live with parents. I find it difficult to get through to the right person but will try and sort it next week.

Have you tried the Benefits checker on this site:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/benefits-check

KazLA

I've been reading though the last couple of days worth of posts about tax issues and think I've unintentionally been recording it incorrectly, making a loss on some jobs by the time I've taken into account mileage and including my food purchases as an expense.

I've been MS for about 4 years and after a while I stopped doing the food jobs because I decided I wasn't gaining anything, as I'd rather stick a £2 pizza in the oven, than print and read paperwork, go out in the car and spend an hour typing up a report when I got home, but someone suggested it was worth doing these, as they would make a loss and therefore reduce the amount of tax payable on other fee only jobs - having read the past posts, I would now read this as 'I am purposefully trying to avoid tax', although I thought what I was doing was correct and legitimate. Is there anyway I can turn this senario around?

Tonight I have completed a meal job that I was phoned and asked to do. I would normally have included the full bill as an expense, but after reading the posts, I only included my own main meal and drink, as this was something I HAD to buy for the job, meaning I pay tax on the remaining reimbursement, which then kind of becomes a fee?? Do you think it is reasonable to do this? I *feel* that with these jobs I make a loss, because I could have eaten at home, for less money (and probably better food) and the reimbursement is less than the overall amount we spent as a family, so I have actually ended up worse off... Hmmm. Please don't shoot me down, but any opinions would be great, thanks.

I think I will either call HMRC, or look up one of the mini courses, but I'd also like to read the thread on MysteryShopperUk - I did actually sign up last week, but my account still says it is waiting for the board administrator to approve my account Any idea how long that should take? I initially signed up to that and a tearooms forum just to look for more work from other companies that I used to see posting work on another forum, are there any others that people use in this way?

dazza.mk

chas wrote: »

are you still referring to mystery shopping .............:eek: ?



Do begging jobs pay well? :rotfl: Not sure quite how the tax man will view income gained from begging :rotfl:


* sorry, couldn't resist, i'll get my coat & won't slam the door on the way out

<chuckle......>

kst101

matthewluck wrote: »

Hi, hope everyone is well. Just wondering, has anyone been paid yet for the TNS phone manufacturer shops (not the syndicated ones in superstores) completed in August? I've not had my payslip yet!

I didn't do any in August but did some in a previous month which were paid a month later than I had expected (think they sent an email on the 28th saying that it would be on the 28th ie the next month).

Have looked and I did ones at the beginning of June that were paid on 28th July. When did you do yours in August - I remember they were moved as was meant to do one on 2nd August which was delayed and so I ended up not able to do it.