Working Tax Credit Compliance

MissMoneypenny

northwestguy wrote: »

My main question was that of my spending time looking for things to sell, and whether that is remunerative?

Your brush with HMRC is over benefit claims and I have no idea what can and can't be counted for benefits as WTC weren't around when my sisters' started their SE. I do know that they spent in in excess of 80 hours per week working, so I don't think they would had had any problems showing a minimum 30 hours per week; if this benefit had been around and they were claiming it.

If you look on the links already given, this will help you see what HMRC require. I'm assuming you sell on Ebay for your SE, so I would guess (and it is a guess) you can use travel time and buying time at jumble sales and car boots??? Friends' use jumble sales and car boots to resourse their stock to sell on Ebay but they don't claim WTC as their OHs work. However, visiting one of these sales doesn't take much time as they are there early to be first in the queue and can look and get out within 30 minutes as they say the best stock is gone within minutes. How many of these sales do you attend each week? I assume you (like they) work in a pattern and know what car boots and charity shops you visit every week? Then perhaps use that to work out your hours and fit it into what HMRC are asking for?

Edit: I just read the thread and see you said you buy from internet sites to sell on ebay.. Did you keep a diary of how long you spent on these sites per day or can show a plan of how long you need to spend on these sites?

flutterby_lil

northwestguy wrote: »

I just don't think I can be bothered with it all now - I really feel like throwing in the towel.

Fine. I'm done with it.

That was my last chance at making a go of things and it looks like it's going to be taken away from me.

Congratulations IDS.

Think I'll just go buy a helium bottle.

I am entitled to my opinion.

It was your above childish comments that made me respond, by having to justify your work you are sulking.

It doesn't show what kind of person I am at all.

You ask for advice on a public forum and get it, just because it's not what you want to hear you don't like it.

Oh and I don't need your pity thanks.

northwestguy

flutterby_lil wrote: »

I am entitled to my opinion.

It was your above childish comments that made me respond, by having to justify your work you are sulking.

It doesn't show what kind of person I am at all.

You ask for advice on a public forum and get it, just because it's not what you want to hear you don't like it.

Oh and I don't need your pity thanks.

OK, tell me exactly how I am feeling now, and have been for the last year or so? Tell me you knew that I think constantly about suicide? Tell me you can feel every emotion I am going through? Tell me how it makes me feel when I read comments like yours?

Childish comments?

Like I said you have no right to make comment about someone you know nothing about.

Yes I asked for 'ADVICE' as you clearly stated above. What you did was spill bile and not give any constructive advice whatsoever as other kind people on here have. I have reported your comments to MSE and for everyones sake I hope they ban you. You and your type are of no use to people seeking genuine advice which is what this forum is set up for.

And as for my pity, I make no apologies for the fact you have all of my pity. I feel truly sorry for you and I'd hate to be someone who thought like you and voiced negative opinions like you do.

I really hope you are satisfied with yourself as I suspect you will be.

Dognobs

northwestguy wrote: »

I take it you've never used eBay then. Never bought anything from there. Don't know anyone who has. Didn't realise it's now one of the highest ranking sites for retail sales. Pretty much has the monopoly.

No - thought not.

Well can I welcome you to 2012?

TBF I goto carboots every week and buy stuff enjoy then sell it on. But I manage to fit that in between working.

northwestguy

Dognobs wrote: »

TBF I goto carboots every week and buy stuff enjoy then sell it on. But I manage to fit that in between working.

I hope you report your extra earnings to HMRC

The items I sell are not the kind of thing you would find at a car boot. They are much higher ticket priced items averaging £50 - £100. Hence Car Boots are of no use to me.

Dognobs

northwestguy wrote: »

I hope you report your extra earnings to HMRC

The items I sell are not the kind of thing you would find at a car boot. They are much higher ticket priced items averaging £50 - £100. Hence Car Boots are of no use to me.

Never said I made a prophet from the Items, I find ebay a waste of time now anyway postal costs are too high and then 10% ebay then paypal want their cut then you get scammers saying the stuff never arrived or damaged so put in a claim with paypal so you have to pay higher signed for postage! EBAY is just a hassle now I wish Google would take them on as they have no compertishion yhey do whatever they want!

Weary_soul

I think it is all part of the 'being fairer to taxpayers'.

Ha! If you believe that I have this bridge I'd like to sell you. Honestly at one time or another we've all been tax payers, so they should be fair to us and as the CAB are saying stick to their own damn guidelines and not keep keep trying to take the p*ss. The only reason they're doing this (I suspect) is they're been pushed by government to make it harder to get any kind of help, be it tax credits or any other kind of benefit.

Also I imagine It's partly jumping the gun and paving the way for the new harsher (and some might say unfair) rules and regs when the dreaded universal credit comes in.

Dognobs

Weary_soul wrote: »

Ha! If you believe that I have this bridge I'd like to sell you. Honestly at one time or another we've all been tax payers, so they should be fair to us and as the CAB are saying stick to their own damn guidelines and not keep keep trying to take the p*ss. The only reason they're doing this (I suspect) is they're been pushed by government to make it harder to get any kind of help, be it tax credits or any other kind of benefit.

Also I imagine It's partly jumping the gun and paving the way for the new harsher (and some might say unfair) rules and regs when the dreaded universal credit comes in.

No it is all about people using tax credits to avoid sigining on. The reason unemployment is going up so fast is because people are now being kicked off these benifits like ESA and IB and SE tax credits this is where Labour (I am a supporter!) hid loads of unemployed for years now it is all coming out. BTW We are all tax payers unless you live in a cave grow and catch all your own food have no bills and poo in a bush and live near a fresh water spring.

northwestguy

Dognobs wrote: »

Never said I made a prophet from the Items, I find ebay a waste of time now anyway postal costs are too high and then 10% ebay then paypal want their cut then you get scammers saying the stuff never arrived or damaged so put in a claim with paypal so you have to pay higher signed for postage! EBAY is just a hassle now I wish Google would take them on as they have no compertishion yhey do whatever they want!

Whether we like it or not eBay is the place where people go to buy stuff now. I have tried solo websites, alas even the best website with the best meta tags & search results gets a fraction of the traffic eBay does for the items I sell.

I agree they have changed the rules constantly and made it much less seller friendly with little recourse from 'bad' buyers. 10% commission, 3.4% PayPal all has to be taken into account. I send all my items via courier, with logged tracking numbers & full insurance. It all eats into any profit, so it's a balancing act between pricing so that it sells, and pricing so that it's profitable.

HappyMJ

I don't think you will have much of a problem proving your hours. You said you will make £4,500 this tax year. Over 46.4 weeks that's 16 hours at minimum wages. Very easy to make that doing anything. You only need to justify the other 24 hours and self employed people can use the hours spent travelling between home and the post office, the research time, the time spent doing the invoicing...etc etc...