Mystery shopping thread 26 *please read the op first**please no client names or fees

Blackdagga

Does anyone do any video work for Douglas Stafford? Applied online a couple of months ago and not heard anything. Do you know if they are taking people on and, if so, do you have a contact?

[Deleted User]

Hello, long time lurker or this thread. Forgive me the n00b question.

Re: First post.

Registering for tax
If you wish to start Mystery Shopping on a self employed basis, even just one job, you need to register with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) within 3 months or you could face a fine of £100.

If I should claim JSA and at the same time do some occasional mystery shopping, do I necessarily come out of JSA and register myself as self employed, or can I just declare the earnings to the DWP and then do a self-assessment at the end of the tax year?

Thanks.

ISWMLE

ciaccino wrote: »

Hello, long time lurker or this thread. Forgive me the n00b question.

Re: First post.


If I should claim JSA and at the same time do some occasional mystery shopping, do I necessarily come out of JSA and register myself as self employed, or can I just declare the earnings to the DWP and then do a self-assessment at the end of the tax year?

Thanks.

You must tell the Job Centre that you are earning as a mystery shopper. But there are rules in place that says that you can earn up to a certain token amount without your JSA benefit being affected. I think it's about £10 a week or thereabouts and any mystery shopping work you do will not be usable as a get out to look for what the Job Centre class as 'sustainable employment', which you will still need to seek, according to their work seeking criteria, in order to qualify for this benefit ongoing. This is any employment that allows you to come off JSA altogether rather than it being a supplement to your earnings as a mystery shopper. That is what working tax credits are for, not JSA.

You must also register with HMRC that you are self employed and to the NI offices and you will need to declare any JSA benefits as well as mystery shopping earnings you receive on your tax return because HMRC will count this entire sum as part of your gross annual income to be assessed as income taxable (not that you are likely to pay any income tax or NI contributions for class 4, with the threshold being as high as it is now). You will need to get a special exemption for Class 2 NI as well if your net profit per tax year falls below £5K per annum.

Big_Graeme

Larac wrote: »

Well still waiting for my login details for the drinks audit. Anybody got theirs yet? or do you think another extension is in the offing?

Noipe, and I've put on hold the final 12 visits for my batch until they sort this out.

mrbanjo

Big_Graeme wrote: »

Noipe, and I've put on hold the final 12 visits for my batch until they sort this out.

I've had them twice today as the first one was wrong. Groveling apology, I guess things can only get better.

mimi1234

Larac wrote: »

I ended up with the 'third degree' when I put down some negative comments about MF sandwich job. Wish I had'nt of bothered in the end and felt that they were really only interested in getting postively swimmingly reports.

I used to get that with RE/MF pharmacies and riot sports shops all the time. It was a game of tennis with them saying one thing and me saying another. Why oh why would I make things up? If the service is lacking or $h!te, then I will say so.

Hats off to just about every other MS agency (I don't work for GYP, so they are not included). They can accept bad reports and obviously use it as a training tool to better the service the clients give.

mrbanjo

mimi1234 wrote: »

I used to get that with RE/MF pharmacies and riot sports shops all the time. It was a game of tennis with them saying one thing and me saying another. Why oh why would I make things up? If the service is lacking or $h!te, then I will say so.

Hats off to just about every other MS agency (I don't work for GYP, so they are not included). They can accept bad reports and obviously use it as a training tool to better the service the clients give.

The riot sports shops were as bad as the burgers for disputing things. Trouble is both brands employ the lowest of the low for peanuts so what do they expect

Larac

Big_Graeme wrote: »

Noipe, and I've put on hold the final 12 visits for my batch until they sort this out.

I sent them a chase up email late this pm and it turned out they sent them out today. It turned up in my spam box - so you may want to have a look in there. There was yet another issue with the wrong passwords for login - so you may find two emails in the spam box.

Not sure how they ended up in spam as all other emails from them got through.

I started loading the data - but be bewarned the RA system throws a wobbly with large picture files - I have reduced mine down from 5mb to just under 1mb. Would be nice to know the restrictions before I started. I am also not clear whether I need to load photos on both the RA site and the client site - (who have a 2mb restriction) - so have asked that question as well.

Happy days

Big_Graeme

Larac wrote: »

I sent them a chase up email late this pm and it turned out they sent them out today. It turned up in my spam box - so you may want to have a look in there. There was yet another issue with the wrong passwords for login - so you may find two emails in the spam box.

Not sure how they ended up in spam as all other emails from them got through.

I started loading the data - but be bewarned the RA system throws a wobbly with large picture files - I have reduced mine down from 5mb to just under 1mb. Would be nice to know the restrictions before I started. I am also not clear whether I need to load photos on both the RA site and the client site - (who have a 2mb restriction) - so have asked that question as well.

Happy days

Had to get them to send me them again. as I couldn't find them.
Thanks for the heads up about the images.

How long is it taking for each one? I had last weekend set aside for them, now I'll have to fit them in around other work.

mrbanjo

Big_Graeme wrote: »

Had to get them to send me them again. as I couldn't find them.
Thanks for the heads up about the images.

How long is it taking for each one? I had last weekend set aside for them, now I'll have to fit them in around other work.

It's turning into a nightmare, such a faff. GFK's were so much less hassle. Now we have to mince about between two reporting websites and it's taking far too long. Thank God I only accepted the one circuit.