Worried about universal credit and self employment

dankerrysmum

Like I say I do it for friends and family and don't like to charge too much , but I guess they would look at it as not a viable business , going to have to really over haul the whole thing , maybe go into the cleaning and housekeeping and charge min wage , don't think I'd get full time hours though ,could I drop the hours but not below 16 of course ? Are they likely to investigate retrospectively ?

nannytone_2

you must iron incredibly slowly!
you aren't really self employed, running a small business, you are ironing for a few friends and family and they are giving you a few quid for doing it.

Icequeen99

If you are just doing it for family and friends, i think you would struggle now to justify it to tax credits, never mind with the new rules.

Are you registered with HMRC for tax and national insurance? Do you have a small earnings certificate for your national insurance contributions?

Sounds like this is not a trade or commercial undertaking really and you are just helping out some friends and family for some money.

I would suggest you decide quickly whether to start ironing as a proper business wider than family and friends.

Tax credits can look at your claim retrospectively. Have you got records for the last year or two?

IQ

FRESTER

Icequeen99 wrote: »

If you are just doing it for family and friends, i think you would struggle now to justify it to tax credits, never mind with the new rules.

Are you registered with HMRC for tax and national insurance? Do you have a small earnings certificate for your national insurance contributions?

Sounds like this is not a trade or commercial undertaking really and you are just helping out some friends and family for some money.

I would suggest you decide quickly whether to start ironing as a proper business wider than family and friends.

Tax credits can look at your claim retrospectively. Have you got records for the last year or two?

IQ

You can no longer apply for a small earnings certificate.

Icequeen99

FRESTER wrote: »

You can no longer apply for a small earnings certificate.

Sorry I should have made that clearer - i was thinking about a retrospective investigation.

IQ

keaton

Hi, as already mentioned you might want to up your prices and I get some leaflets too for your area, no one likes ironing and you could build your business pretty quickly and many people I'm sure would be happily to let you do it for them. Just get the word out.

Have you thought of adding extras too, like febreze for a extra 10p per item.

Facebook has local area pages too, like buy and sell, might be worth your while finding your local area page and letting people know your services.

FRESTER

We do some ironing we got by accident from our cleaning business.
We charge £10 per hour.
We also wash and iron some bedding for holiday cottages and charge £8 per guest,so a double bed is £16.
8 people in a holiday cottage is £64 and doesn't take as much time as you would think to wash and iron.

shegirl

dankerrysmum wrote: »

Like I say I do it for friends and family and don't like to charge too much , but I guess they would look at it as not a viable business , going to have to really over haul the whole thing , maybe go into the cleaning and housekeeping and charge min wage , don't think I'd get full time hours though ,could I drop the hours but not below 16 of course ? Are they likely to investigate retrospectively ?

It's not really a business then,is it. You need to do something. Dropping your hours won't make a difference.

How on earth are you working over 30 hours a week ironing for friends and family and only earning £60?

Why would you charge minimum wage for cleaning?! Cleaners charge more than minimum wage. Are you trying to minimise your income?

Charityworker

If it were me I would get some fliers printed and do a leaflet drop around houses. Go for places where the people who work live who don't have time to iron. Charge the going rate for their ironing and concentrate on that. Still do friends and family at a reduced rate but explain to them you can only do theirs if you have time once your main work is finished. Explain to them about tax credits. Start keepng a tight account book and a diary loggng what you do.

Icequeen99

Charityworker wrote: »

If it were me I would get some fliers printed and do a leaflet drop around houses. Go for places where the people who work live who don't have time to iron. Charge the going rate for their ironing and concentrate on that. Still do friends and family at a reduced rate but explain to them you can only do theirs if you have time once your main work is finished. Explain to them about tax credits. Start keepng a tight account book and a diary loggng what you do.

Although she would struggle if she needed the family and friends to make her hours up, even if they were just part of it. HMRC are likely to say those hours aren't commercial or with a view to a profit.

IQ