Self Employed and Confused About What to Claim?!

KerrBearrxo

Hello

I have just been hired by a company as a "Sales Representative" Even though I am under a big company name, I am self employed and only get paid based on commission.

I have a few questions as I have to pay my own NI and Tax and I am a little confused as I am only 19.

1. How do I claim for petrol? Do I need to keep track of how many miles I do a week or do I need to keep track of how much I spend on petrol per week? The reason I ask this is because on the government website, it states until April 2012 you get 40p per mile up to 10,000 miles.

So say I have spent £200 on petrol in 3 weeks and travelled approx 900 miles. How do I claim this back? Do I do 0.40p times by 900 miles and knock the total amount off my total income myself when filling out a self assessment tax form?

I am so confused lol..

2. Also, I work 6 days a week. Therefore can I claim for my mobile phone contract as I will be using it every day except Sunday and because I work long hours the only thing on my mobile contract I would use that wouldn't be for work purposes is the unlimited internet I have.

3. Because I am away from home all the time, sometimes up to 2-3 hours away from my house, can I claim for food and if so how much a week?

Thank you so much for reading and hopefully someone can help me get my head around this!

chalkie99

First things first.......

If you are working long hours, six days a week for this company then you are almost certainly not self employed in the eyes of HMRC.

Start by looking through the information here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employment-status/index.htm

KerrBearrxo

chalkie99 wrote: »

First things first.......

If you are working long hours, six days a week for this company then you are almost certainly not self employed in the eyes of HMRC.

Start by looking through the information here:

I am self employed, I've signed all the forms and they don't pay me a salary or hourly wage.

BoGoF

Oh the naivety......to be 19 again.....

Follow the link posted, answer the questions truthfully and tell us what it says.....

KerrBearrxo

BoGoF wrote: »

Oh the naivety......to be 19 again.....

Follow the link posted, answer the questions truthfully and tell us what it says.....

Why does it matter? I've signed the forms and I'm self employed, I can do whatever I want but if I don't work 6 days I don't get my bonus at the end of the week. Just answer my question above or please don't post. I don't need patronising.

McKneff

KerrBearrxo wrote: »

Why does it matter? I've signed the forms and I'm self employed, I can do whatever I want but if I don't work 6 days I don't get my bonus at the end of the week. Just answer my question above or please don't post. I don't need patronising.

Just calm down.

The HMRC decides who is and who is not self employed, not companies and certainly not 19 year old salesmen.

Follow the link and read up on it.

Patronising ha, you dont know the meaning of the word.

People are trying to help you.

Your company are breaking the law. As well as taking advantage of you.

Cant you see that................

BoGoF

Exactly McKneff, signing a bit of paper doesn't make you self-employed.

The fact is your employer is exploiting your lack of knowledge, it's far cheaper for them to take you on a 'self-employed' basis.....but fortunately that's not a choice you or them have

KerrBearrxo

McKneff wrote: »

Just calm down.

The HMRC decides who is and who is not self employed, not companies and certainly not 19 year old salesmen.

Follow the link and read up on it.

Patronising ha, you dont know the meaning of the word.

People are trying to help you.

Your company are breaking the law. As well as taking advantage of you.

Cant you see that................

Yeah of course they are, they're a multi-million pound business, and they're well known. If it makes you happy.. here's the stupid website. Maybe you all should just answer my question and stop posting stuff that's irrelevant.

If the answer is 'Yes' to all of the following questions, it will usually mean that the worker is self-employed:

Can they hire someone to do the work or engage helpers at their own expense? YES
Do they risk their own money? YES
Do they provide the main items of equipment they need to do their job, not just the small tools that many employees provide for themselves? YES
Do they agree to do a job for a fixed price regardless of how long the job may take? YES
Can they decide what work to do, how and when to do the work and where to provide the services? YES
Do they regularly work for a number of different people? YES
Do they have to correct unsatisfactory work in their own time and at their own expense? YES

BoGoF

You do realise that the 'they' in those questions is YOU.......

So YOU can send someone else to deputise for you?
What money have YOU risked?

etc etc

chalkie99

KerrBearrxo wrote: »

Just answer my question above or please don't post. I don't need patronising.

Hence the old saying:

"Employ a teenager today while they still know it all"

KerrBearrxo

BoGoF wrote: »

Exactly McKneff, signing a bit of paper doesn't make you self-employed.

The fact is your employer is exploiting your lack of knowledge, it's far cheaper for them to take you on a 'self-employed' basis.....but fortunately that's not a choice you or them have

What part of, answer my question or go away don't you understand? I looked at the HMRC, I am self employed.