Selling from front garden

the_matrix

Hi

I grow fruit and veg. I know some of the other growers have fruit + veg left over.

I was thinking to sell it from my front garden as we get a lot of foot traffic. Car boots are out of the question as I don't have a car.

Do I need council permission? What else do I need to consider please?

Cheers :beer:

martindow

Lots of people sell on a small scale as you are proposing seemingly without problems. Strictly speaking I'm sure it creates planning issues and you probably should contact HMRC to declare self employment although they are not interested in hobby businesses.

There was a thread a couple of weeks ago from someone doing something similar where the council had got involved. I imagine this only happens if it creates traffic or parking problems and a disgruntled neighbour stirs up trouble by alerting the local authority.

paddyrg

If you have a real local greengrocer, you may find they'll take some of your spares! We used to at one I worked at, it was a way of engaging with the locals who got paid the same as the wholesale rate he bought at.

Savvy_Sue

Worth trying with an honesty box? Can't see that that would cause issues.

londonTiger

martindow wrote: »

Lots of people sell on a small scale as you are proposing seemingly without problems. Strictly speaking I'm sure it creates planning issues and you probably should contact HMRC to declare self employment although they are not interested in hobby businesses.

There was a thread a couple of weeks ago from someone doing something similar where the council had got involved. I imagine this only happens if it creates traffic or parking problems and a disgruntled neighbour stirs up trouble by alerting the local authority.

Nope I don't think op needs to declare self employment. You just need to do self assessment to declare your profits over you wages/pension

Self employment is for more permanent situations not for done money on the side.

It should cause any issues, if you were doing it in a large scale it might annoy neighbours but if you just did it to genuinely get rid of extra harvest it shouldn't be a problem

londonTiger

Also, I think gardeners put into gardening much more than the get out. A lot of fertiliser and compost is used for gardening as well as other gardening tools, water, plant food. I'm sure if the costed it out they'll find that gardening is loss making and therefore not subject to SA.

Brassedoff

Put a sign at the top of your Garden, sell your fruit and enjoy the "Fruit and Veg of your labour"

No need to do all this register with HMRC etc. Yours is a small spec on the scale of things.

Why on earth people come out with this sort of advice for a cottage industry!

martindow

Brassedoff wrote: »

Put a sign at the top of your Garden, sell your fruit and enjoy the "Fruit and Veg of your labour"

No need to do all this register with HMRC etc. Yours is a small spec on the scale of things.

Why on earth people come out with this sort of advice for a cottage industry!

True, but I did qualify it by saying HMRC are not interested in hobby businesses.

Charityworker

I'm not sure whether the HMRC wouldnt be interested. I thought they were interested in all money making schemes. If not perhaps I don't need to tell them about what I do as it's only a part time now and again hobby?

Savvy_Sue

Charityworker wrote: »

I'm not sure whether the HMRC wouldnt be interested. I thought they were interested in all money making schemes. If not perhaps I don't need to tell them about what I do as it's only a part time now and again hobby?

And that's the question: after paying for seeds, tools, fertiliser, compost etc, is the OP going to make a profit? Do YOU make a profit? If yes, then HMRC should be told. If no, and the intention is NOT to make a profit, then no need to register.

Having said that, if both income and expenditure from the hobby business are high, but no profit is being made, it might be wise to keep records so that IF HMRC ever came knocking on the door you could demonstrate that it was a hobby not a money-making business.

Percy1983

Surely any work means your should register as self employed and file tax returns.

If you keep braking even no problem, if you make a small profit pay over a little tax if you make a loss get some tax back.

I would just say my business was a hobby and pay no tax if it was that simple.