Maximising income - Mystery Shopping? Surveys?

Elfin123

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick note .. its probably something everyone's doing anyway but just in case ... don't forget to keep a record of your mileage to and from each MS.

The IR lets you claim tax relief on this as an expense ..40 pence per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25 pence thereafter. You fill in the amounts in your self assessment that you complete at the end of each tax year.

Hope this is of some help

xx

Rachie_B

Elfin123 wrote:

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick note .. its probably something everyone's doing anyway but just in case ... don't forget to keep a record of your mileage to and from each MS.

..40 pence per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25 pence thereafter. You fill in the amounts in your self assessment that you complete at the end of each tax year.

Hope this is of some help

xx

how do you prove this though

Rachie_B

becsxxx wrote:

TNS have just added a long list of hotel jobs for the next couple of weeks

ive been unsucessful

anyone know why that might be? do they keep the hotel jobs for thei "favourite / popular" shoppers ? lol

PeachPickle

OK, just got the first email with a link to the questionnaire for my first TNS jobs. The page asks for username and password? What's my username?! It's clearly not the number field identity thing I use to sign into TNS' main site, so what is it?!

Becles

Rachie_B wrote:

how do you prove this though

I just keep a record on a page in my accounts book. It says things like:

1/10 Durham 24 miles
2/10 Newcastle 18 miles

and so on.

Then I tot it up at the end of the tax year for the total miles done.

If the IR wanted proof, you have your job paperwork to show what you did that day. I also keep notes in the Outlook calendar, so I can glance back at any day and see who I worked for and what I did. Also handy if a company queries a job long after the event, as it can sometime jog your memory if you can recall what else you did that day.

I keep a seperate page for each PAYE company as you can claim tax relief on the difference between what they pay you and the IR allowed expense of 40p. Say you were paid 25p a mile, you can claim 15p a mile tax relief. You claim this on the PAYE page for each employer on the tax return.

Elfin123

Rachie_B wrote:

how do you prove this though

Hi,

You need to keep a full record times dates ... distances I have made this claim for the last 3 years and I keep a monthly spreadsheet (IR has never asked for it and each year I've got over £1000 back form the IR)

Here's how mine is done

Date Purpose of Trip To/ From Mileage Amount rec Claimed from IR

15/10 MS Watford Uxbridge/ Watford rtn 49 Nil £19.60

Note : the amount received is not your MS fee is what they give you in petrol expenses so if they gave you 20p per mile for travel then the amount of tax relief from the IR is £9.80 instead.

You will probably never need to show this to them but you need to keep this record in case they ever check your accounts, this record is backed up and proved by your records of your jobs/earings from your MS so your earings declared will tie in with your expenses.

The same applies for your parking reciepts etc...

Hope this makes sense

xx

Silkysox

PeachPickle wrote:

OK, just got the first email with a link to the questionnaire for my first TNS jobs. The page asks for username and password? What's my username?! It's clearly not the number field identity thing I use to sign into TNS' main site, so what is it?!

Username for me is the same numerical user id I use to sign in to the main site. Try it again and hopefully it will work for you.

Dormouse

PeachPickle wrote:

OK, just got the first email with a link to the questionnaire for my first TNS jobs. The page asks for username and password? What's my username?! It's clearly not the number field identity thing I use to sign into TNS' main site, so what is it?!

The user name is the same as the one for the main site, but the password is different (new one for each questionnaire). Both should be mentioned in your email where the link was.

(Took me AGES to figure that one out the first time :rotfl: )

PeachPickle

Dormouse wrote:

The user name is the same as the one for the main site, but the password is different (new one for each questionnaire). Both should be mentioned in your email where the link was.

(Took me AGES to figure that one out the first time :rotfl: )

Wow, how embarrassed am I now? :rotfl: Ok, next newbie question - this "good enough to buy" shopping list. Do I actually have to buy the stuff, or just check that it's good enough to buy?! I've read through the briefing notes and I can't see it mentioned I assume I have to spend the whole £4 on groceries, but I can't see me getting two lots of steak with that....

The sandwich ones are easier. Go in, buy sandwich, leave. None of this reading things malarkey!

jobbingmusician

PeachPickle wrote:

Ok, next newbie question - this "good enough to buy" shopping list. Do I actually have to buy the stuff, or just check that it's good enough to buy?

Just has to look good. I seem to remember, for example, that somewhere in one set of shopping notes it mentions that meat should not have lots of blood around. And I've seen some mouldy fruit in my travels :rolleyes: But most of the time things ARE well presented and good enough to buy