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

Boredupnorth

Hi, Is anyone still outstanding payments from BARE? I am getting more than a little fed up with them now.

burnoutbabe

dazza.mk wrote: »

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.

I've been treating it as an incendenal benefit for years, i specialised in taxation with a big 4 firm.

we're paid to asess food, we have to buy the food to do that. By doing the no fee work we get other jobs - even with FFF companies, i often get rung to do jobs last minite at premiums as they know I am reliable and get them done. So i'd look at each company as a whole, do you make an overall profit out of working for them?

If i had one company who i only did no fee jobs, well how is that different to say a pizza company giving me a free meal if i fill in a report card for them? thats not a job and you wouldn't pay tax if they did that. its probably pretty rare you do only no fee jobs for anyone.

There is NO HARD AND FAST RULES HERE, we only have one person who'se tax inspector went WAY over the top and said anything received was a benefit (what, even if you say hate coffee and poor it away after weighing and measuring), which is clearly rubbish. And a one off decision by one person, which doesn't mean it applies to anyone else.

if people want to pay far more tax than they need to, so be it. I prefer to keep detailed records of every job and reasons why taken and if they want to audit, so be it, and if they want to take an alternate view, so be it. There won't be fines and accusations of evasion for £1,000 or so of costs that you claimed which were incurred. worse that could happen is you have to pay back tax. they do not prosecute for such small amounts, which are very open to interpretation as to whether taxable or not, and HMRC doesn't have an agreed view or even agreed caselaw on the subject.

Oh: if the reminburesement was £x and i spent more, I'd only claim the reimburesement as the cost UNLESS i had had the cheapest possible things allowed and not been able to get under the reimbursement allowed. But then occasionally everyone takes a job that proves to be unprofitable but you have to finish it and not lose professional reputation by not doing it.

jen_br

Boredupnorth wrote: »

Hi, Is anyone still outstanding payments from BARE? I am getting more than a little fed up with them now.

We are and They have till friday or my trustee legal letter to the owner goes out lol.

jen_br

berbastrike wrote: »

Surely no one needs an accountant?!

What do they do that you can't do?

Yes I do travel the country and I do run a lot of expenses, Tshirts for work etc. HE helps me with the allowable expenses, he ensures im maximizing my return and makes sure I don't do anything stupid. For 75.00 (oh and his fee is a write off) its peice of mind. I am also not a citizen so I like to ensure I have a CA (chartered accountants) stamp on my return.

The calculations for my house, car, etc that he works out is awesome and I dont think without him I would have the time to get that involved in my tax return!

Boredupnorth

jen_br wrote: »

We are and They have till friday or my trustee legal letter to the owner goes out lol.

There is something weird going on with them at the minute, MOH has been paid on Monday and looks like its for everything apart from work done last month which is fair enough but I am still outstand payment for work going back as far a end of July. Both accounts still say payment pending though at the minute. Frustrating as mine is almost 3 figures they owe!

It’s a shame as I like the work they have but until they sort themselves out I wont take anymore from them.

Boredupnorth

jen_br wrote: »

Yes I do travel the country and I do run a lot of expenses, Tshirts for work etc. HE helps me with the allowable expenses, he ensures im maximizing my return and makes sure I don't do anything stupid. For 75.00 (oh and his fee is a write off) its peice of mind. I am also not a citizen so I like to ensure I have a CA (chartered accountants) stamp on my return.

The calculations for my house, car, etc that he works out is awesome and I dont think without him I would have the time to get that involved in my tax return!

It’s an interesting point, I have only used accountants in corporate type situations and their fees where astronomical so have never thought of using one for my own accounts. However if that’s all your getting charged then it seems a no brainer to me.

I recon I loose more than that each year with lost time filling in my forms and I would imagine having his stamp on the form may minimise the risk of getting audited as well.

Also as you say he makes sure you are not taking any big risks and also minimising the amount of liability

clippy_girl

I was paid on tuesday afternoon by bare for jewellery done end of July. They told me they paid on fri 23rd but would expected it to have cleared in everyone's account by now

squeaky1055

invalid_username wrote: »

I remember a few years ago when I had my first 'failed' venture with mystery shopping that a 'Bits of everything' (?) store used to mystery shop themselves (ie. no middle man) and they used to post out money.

I doubt these days that that is common practice, but i stand to be corrected.:o

Now I am very confused ... I have been reading back through the thread and on 26/09 post 3572 you said you were NEW to mystery shopping!! I was wondering how you remember the cash envelopes from a certain company!!
I will help all newbies and those returning to this type of work as much as possible...but call me cynical...:p

serendipity2706

squeaky1055 wrote: »

Now I am very confused ... I have been reading back through the thread and on 26/09 post 3572 you said you were NEW to mystery shopping!! I was wondering how you remember the cash envelopes from a certain company!!
I will help all newbies and those returning to this type of work as much as possible...but call me cynical...:p

Wonders if Invalid Username may be DP James in disguise
(call ME cynical but...)

jen_br

Yeah, BARE payments we are outstanding are the Automobile sadly it even said payment paid AGES ago... yet nothing.