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

Lil_Me_2

KazLA wrote: »

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?

If I remember right it took quite a while for me too.

dazza.mk wrote: »

<chuckle......>

Don't you start! Mind out of the gutter people! :cool:

misssarahleigh

KazLA wrote: »

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?

I think this is where the 'Benifit' comes in.

If you were only doing the job to get a fee, fair enough. But you've done the job for the food.

I generally think of it like this:

Why did you do the job?

To get the food.

Your answer:

To avoid tax on other jobs

I did the same to start. But then had to think about it hard. In fairness i've been through my accounts and made a few amendments tonight based on whats been said.

dazza.mk

Lil_Me wrote: »

Don't you start! Mind out of the gutter people! :cool:

Soooooorrrrrrryyyyyyyyy

MysteryMe

I applied to join that forum about 3 months ago and never got a response. Seems to be a bit of a closed shop if you pardon the pun.

dazza.mk

misssarahleigh wrote: »

I think this is where the 'Benifit' comes in.

If you were only doing the job to get a fee, fair enough. But you've done the job for the food.

I generally think of it like this:

Why did you do the job?

To get the food.

Your answer:

To avoid tax on other jobs

I did the same to start. But then had to think about it hard. In fairness i've been through my accounts and made a few amendments tonight based on whats been said.

The key is whether it is an incidental benefit...... were you doing it for free food (direct benefit and therefore disallowable) or for a.n.other reason that would make it an incidental benefit.

Lil_Me_2

MysteryMe wrote: »

I applied to join that forum about 3 months ago and never got a response. Seems to be a bit of a closed shop if you pardon the pun.

I think the person who was running it got a little overwhelmed and considered closing it. I believe it's been "saved" but it's probably not quite as looked after as it needs to be. Oddly enough this thread is actually a lot busier than all the other forums, just sometimes it's nice to have something less cluttered.

DPJames

Monkeynut wrote: »

Just wondering though Berbastrike, if this is the only work you do, and you aren't looking for anything more, then why should you be entitled to benefits!!

DPJames wrote: »

Might be a student and can't afford the time to do anymore work. Don't jump to conclusions just yet.

berbastrike wrote: »

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.

A classic example of not calling the kettle a teapot before you've polished your shoes and got a bird's bush in your hand and have stuck them on your 'ignore' list.

Or something like that anyway.

Good luck at Uni

Becles

DPJames wrote: »

Becles. Does your fella call you Becles cakes?

Where in Durham are you? Anywhere near Horden?

I don't have a fella

I'm not near Horden but my Dad used to work in Easington. Do you live round there?

How's everyones October looking? Mines looking a little worryingly quiet at the moment Taking some of October week off though as I'm going camping in a wigwam with the bairns.

DPJames

Becles wrote: »

I'm not near Horden but my Dad used to work in Easington. Do you live round there?

Yeah. My dad worked Easington too, and my uncle, and my grandad and my gran. All in the five quarter pit. My dad and uncle were navi's and train drivers, granpops was lead engineer and gran was the head nurse.

I now study and analyse the effects of 200 years worth of mining on coastal and marine life and it's gradual recovery.

If i have to drop any shopping assignments do you want me to give you the heads up?

Becles

My Dad wasn't in the pit. He was a teacher there.

Your job sounds really interesting :cool: There's a good exhibition about the changing coastline in South Shields museum. I'm taking my bairns there next weekend.

Ta for the heads up on jobs