Doing surveys online for money- do I have to register as self employed if..?

clp123

Hi,
First of all sorry if this has been asked already and if this is the wrong place to post this thread but I am so confused!

I have registered with a few of the survey sites mentioned on this site but I am confused as to whether I have to register as self employed and/or declare my earnings because all but one of them offer vouchers as an incentive, not money. The one that does offer money does not pay out until you have reached £50 so would I have to declare the money before I reach £50 and I only have a few points in my account or when I actually have the money in my account?

And do vouchers count? I emailed on of the sites and they said it is just a "thank you" rather than them hiring me so does not count as income, but obviously they're not the ones who will get fined £100 if that info is wrong

By the way, I am 17 and a full time student and I do have a job but it's part time and nowhere near the tax threshold.

Thanks in advance

Thehighlander_2

You are allowed to earn £7,475 tax free if i remember correctly before having to pay tax.

clp123

Thehighlander wrote: »

You are allowed to earn £7,475 tax free if i remember correctly before having to pay tax.

Thanks for the reply but the problem I am having is whether or not I have to declare the vouchers that survey sites offer as incentives, as income. My part time job is way below the tax free amount, but my employers still let HMRC know that I have earned it because it counts towards the full amount.

Marteebies

Hi

I have been participating in online surveys for around 3 years now and have never declared any tax on my survey earnings...Essentially you are winning the vouchers or cash, which is therefore tax free! Also as you aren't making a regular significant income out of participating i don't think it is worth worrying about, however if you are still concerned it is probably best to call the HMRC offices and speak directly with them.

If you are looking for any new survey websites to join i would definitely recommend the following:

https://www.panelopinion.co.uk - this is my favourite survey website, it is simple but effective and I have won a lot of CASH on here...You can withdraw your money when you get to £10 and it doesn't take that long to build up a good amount.

https://www.valuedopinion.co.uk - this website is good because they frequently have new surveys, which means you can qualify for them more often.

https://www.toluna.com - same as valuedopinion

https://www.surveyfriends.co.uk - this website rewards you with vouchers and prizes, which seem VERY easy to win lol. During 2012 I have already won a £50 amazon voucher and a £10 ticketmaster voucher and my friend won a 40" HD TV just before xmas. I am recommending this website based on our recent and previous success

I have joined numerous other survey sites but have had the most success with the ones above, especially panelopinion!

Remember: Never pay to join any survey site - its often a scam

Hope this has been of some help, Good Luck

nehpets81

At the risk of opening up a can of worms here, I'm not sure this advice is entirely correct. There are some survey sites where you do have a chance of winning vouchers or cash but the vast majority will offer you a specific reward for taking a survey.
I am not a tax professional and it is always worth contacting HMRC if unsure but my understanding is that you should be paying tax on the vouchers as they are indeed payment for the work you have done. I am a little surprised that the survey site indicated you did not have to pay tax because they are a "thank you". Surely the same could be said for things like mystery shopping if this were the case?
Having said that, the fact that you are earning less than your personal allowance means that you don't have to pay tax on those earnings anyway so I think it is for this reason, and not the fact that they are vouchers or a "thank you" that you don't need to worry about paying tax.

MoneySaver82

Just wanted to add my experience to this - contacted my local tax office and have in writing from them that I have to declare all earnings - including anything paid in vouchers - for tax purposes. Even though I did explain that they have no cash value and can only be used in specific stores but was told it's all income.