Re: Martin's Freelancer Message - HELP!?

Pebbles39

Hi Persa & Kiki - thanks for your advice...needless to say I haven't slept and I'm gutted about this since reading Martin's Freelancer blog yesterday evening - I've organised a meeting with a freelance accountant from work today for Monday so hope that will help clarify things - in the meantime I've got some homework and phonecalls to HMRC & DWP to make over the weekend.........

I hope that other young mums like me realise what they need to do when they take on a bit of work in between wrestling with children and childcare etc - it is sooo easy to think that it's so little it doesn't count....crikey...

Hopefully I will be able to post a positive update in the near future...!

Thanks again

Px

KiKi

Pebbles39 wrote: »

Hi Persa & Kiki - thanks for your advice...needless to say I haven't slept and I'm gutted about this since reading Martin's Freelancer blog yesterday evening - I've organised a meeting with a freelance accountant from work today for Monday so hope that will help clarify things - in the meantime I've got some homework and phonecalls to HMRC & DWP to make over the weekend.........

No worries. Deal with HMRC first; you never know, they may just tell you to start from this tax year, and only ask you for information for previous years. Depends who you speak to!

All I would say is please don't pay for an accountant if it really is that small an amount of money.

What HMRC are likely to say is:
* What did you earn for the last three years
* Please send us all invoices for that time
* What were your expenses for the last three years
* Please send us documentation to that effect
* Please complete a tax return for 2010-11 urgently

That's all your tax return is, anyway. An accountant probably isn't going to add any value to that, unless you have complicated tax affairs and it really doesn't sound like you do, now you've said you don't have expenses. If you were more borderline and earning closer to £100 a week and had expenses then an accountant might be worth it. But I'm SE, and I've never used an accountant.

I hope that other young mums like me realise what they need to do when they take on a bit of work in between wrestling with children and childcare etc - it is sooo easy to think that it's so little it doesn't count....crikey...

Yep - the lesson for *anyone* is that if you earn money, you have to declare it. Did you know that even children pay tax if they earn more than £7475 in a year?! Same as adults.

Hopefully I will be able to post a positive update in the near future...!

I'm sure it will be fine. But I wouldn't wait to talk to HMRC - getting through on Saturday can be a nightmare. If you can call at 0759-0800 tomorrow you will prob get through straight away. (Obv depends on kids and school etc.) If not, try 0800 on Saturday. They seem to be less busy very first thing.

Please don't panic, though. They are good if you are proactive.
KiKi