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Maximising income - Mystery Shopping? Surveys? (Part Two)
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If you are doing a few jobs, only a few miles apart, on the same day for different companies do you claim travel expenses for only 1 job or considering there is a distance between them do you claim the extra mileage or do you just charge for the one which is the greatest distance from your house? How do you record this?
What happens if some of these jobs do not pay mileage?
I have just done 3 jobs in one trip, I took the total mileage and divided it by 3and then allocated one third to each job. Is that going to be acceptable to the IR?0 -
Beccles implies that it would be acceptable ONLY if you weren't going on that trip, or anywhere near it, anyway. Whilst I accept that if (for example) you go to Xanadu every Wednesday, have done for the last 10 years and did your MS in Xanadu on a Wed you shouldn't claim, if it was a 'real' MS shopping trip for the 3 MS's, (i.e. you went to Xanadu specially) I think it is perfectly acceptable - indeed, very fair! - to divide the costs between the 3 companies. I think this would also be accepted as fair by the IR. (And I don't really think the IR would care if you went to see a friend whilst you were in Xanadu, even if this friend was someone you see fairly regularly!) However, I also think that the IR would see it as fair if (assuming this was still an identified MS trip) you charged ALL the costs of this trip to one company, if they were the ones willing to reimburse your mileage. As long as you don't claim the expenses separately for each MS on this date, I believe the IR have no cause to dispute which company actually pays them, since you are not affecting the tax payable.
PS Although you cannot claim for travel to and from your regular place of work, you can claim travel FROM your normal place of work. When you MS, your normal place of work is home, in front of your computer (or your internet cafe if the poster who suggested that has managed to sort things out so her access from the cafe enables her to take up this career).
Incidentally, I think it is incredibly immoral that we full-time, employed people pay the extortionate cost of travel to work from our taxed salary, with the highest travel costs in the world, here in London. A whole other subject! - but I resent the fact my travel to work costs me over £250 a month in untaxed income. (And it makes me cross that I can't claim this money back in any way as MS costs, but I really don't - at least one MS company thinks I'm almost too good to be true, as I regularly do central London venues for them without it costing them any mileage!)Ex board guide. Signature now changed (if you know, you know).0 -
jobbingmusician wrote: »Beccles implies that it would be acceptable ONLY if you weren't going on that trip, or anywhere near it, anyway. Whilst I accept that if (for example) you go to Xanadu every Wednesday, have done for the last 10 years and did your MS in Xanadu on a Wed you shouldn't claim, if it was a 'real' MS shopping trip for the 3 MS's, (i.e. you went to Xanadu specially) I think it is perfectly acceptable - indeed, very fair! - to divide the costs between the 3 companies. I think this would also be accepted as fair by the IR. (And I don't really think the IR would care if you went to see a friend whilst you were in Xanadu, even if this friend was someone you see fairly regularly!) However, I also think that the IR would see it as fair if (assuming this was still an identified MS trip) you charged ALL the costs of this trip to one company, if they were the ones willing to reimburse your mileage. As long as you don't claim the expenses separately for each MS on this date, I believe the IR have no cause to dispute which company actually pays them, since you are not affecting the tax payable.
PS Although you cannot claim for travel to and from your regular place of work, you can claim travel FROM your normal place of work. When you MS, your normal place of work is home, in front of your computer (or your internet cafe if the poster who suggested that has managed to sort things out so her access from the cafe enables her to take up this career).
Very well put, if I may say so! :T I agree particularly about the going to work. If you're going mystery shopping in Xanadu on Sat and happen to do your other shopping when you're there, then good on you and how are IR going to prove otherwise.
Let's be honest, are they really going to investigate you for the sake of £20 or whatever the tax would be at the end of the year anyway?!?0 -
Do you have to specify what date and time you did an assignment? What would happen if you said you done an assignment on a Friday but actually done it on a Saturday, would they know, would you get into bother? What happens if you are not sure what date you completed an assignments, what happens then?0
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Do you have to specify what date and time you did an assignment? What would happen if you said you done an assignment on a Friday but actually done it on a Saturday, would they know, would you get into bother? What happens if you are not sure what date you completed an assignments, what happens then?
Quite a few of the MS sites (eg TNS, Retail Eyes, Gap) show a history of your visits and when you do them (Gap don't always get it right) - you can check your own records with this and so could the IR. I would recommend keeping your own records of when you do assignments (if you don't keep a list, how will you know if the company forgets to pay you?)
To clarify, the IR won't be interested at all in when you do the assignments unless they audit you. They won't audit you unless they are suspicious of your affairs or you are randomly selected. I don't think anyone on here knows how hard a time you are likely to be given if you ARE audited, but it seems obvious to me that the more accurate and honest your records, the more likely it is that they will treat genuine mistakes as just that, and not feel that you are going out of your way to defraud them.Ex board guide. Signature now changed (if you know, you know).0 -
jobbingmusician wrote: »Quite a few of the MS sites (eg TNS, Retail Eyes, Gap) show a history of your visits and when you do them (Gap don't always get it right
) - you can check your own records with this and so could the IR. I would recommend keeping your own records of when you do assignments (if you don't keep a list, how will you know if the company forgets to pay you?)
To clarify, the IR won't be interested at all in when you do the assignments unless they audit you. They won't audit you unless they are suspicious of your affairs or you are randomly selected. I don't think anyone on here knows how hard a time you are likely to be given if you ARE audited, but it seems obvious to me that the more accurate and honest your records, the more likely it is that they will treat genuine mistakes as just that, and not feel that you are going out of your way to defraud them.
If you happened to do an assignment that you couldn't remember whether it was a Friday or Saturday you would get away with it once but you would have to remember not to do it again?0 -
Signed up with Bare a while ago and have just got my first job with them at a BS. I am a bit confused as the email that I got saying that I could have the job does not say whether or not I need to book an appointment with the BS or just go in and see if there is an an appointment available. As there is to pay scales one for a pre booked appointment and one for a walk in interview. Has anyone done one of these jobs before and if so can you please help me?cross stitch cafe #90 UFO's 6 to finish in 2013, and loads of new kits to boot
Refunded bank overdraft charges £915 :jSPC 2007-2008 #078 aim £500-£341.67
SPC 2011-2012 #078 aim £500-£426.42
SPC 2012-2013 #078aim £500 - TBC
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My Bare Bank job was just a "walk in". I went as early as allowed on the brief and someone was able to give me a full interview.This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0
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where does it say that it is a "walk in" one?cross stitch cafe #90 UFO's 6 to finish in 2013, and loads of new kits to boot
Refunded bank overdraft charges £915 :jSPC 2007-2008 #078 aim £500-£341.67
SPC 2011-2012 #078 aim £500-£426.42
SPC 2012-2013 #078aim £500 - TBC
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