Tax and National Insurance Number

JakiT

Hi there

I make a few quid every month, if that, from selling e-books but one of the aggregators wants my National Insurance Number for me to verify who I am. They say because the UK is not the one paying me our own tax laws are not in question. The tax treaty between the US and the UK requires the W8-BEN form. The tax interview they ask people to take is filling out a form for with the information I provide. They say without it they cannot pay me any royalties as this is a liability to them. In the interview if I do not provide then with nat insurance number to prove I am a citizen of a country that holds the tax treaty with the US, then they cannot verify my identity and therefore payments would be held until they are able to verify my information. They say I do not need to do anything other than provide proof of residency by taking the interview that gives them the W8-BEN form they need to be able to pay me.

But I don't want it alerting the Tax Office as I am not self-employed, it is just a hobby and would create more trouble than it is worth. I said to them I am in the UK and we don't pay tax until we are earning over £11,000 per year. So there's no point in contacting the Inland Revenue here for a few quid, it will cause no amount of problems and will create far more trouble.

Can someone reassure me that giving my Nat Insurance No in this way wouldn't create problem for me?

I am not sure if I am in the right thread!

Thanks in advance

HappyMJ

A few quid? How much is that exactly? If it's literally just a few quid then I wouldn't fill the form in. You won't get the income though.

jennifernil

What sort of trouble/problems do you envisage it could create?

CLAPTON

JakiT wrote: »

Hi there

I make a few quid every month, if that, from selling e-books but one of the aggregators wants my National Insurance Number for me to verify who I am. They say because the UK is not the one paying me our own tax laws are not in question. The tax treaty between the US and the UK requires the W8-BEN form. The tax interview they ask people to take is filling out a form for with the information I provide. They say without it they cannot pay me any royalties as this is a liability to them. In the interview if I do not provide then with nat insurance number to prove I am a citizen of a country that holds the tax treaty with the US, then they cannot verify my identity and therefore payments would be held until they are able to verify my information. They say I do not need to do anything other than provide proof of residency by taking the interview that gives them the W8-BEN form they need to be able to pay me.

But I don't want it alerting the Tax Office as I am not self-employed, it is just a hobby and would create more trouble than it is worth. I said to them I am in the UK and we don't pay tax until we are earning over £11,000 per year. So there's no point in contacting the Inland Revenue here for a few quid, it will cause no amount of problems and will create far more trouble.

Can someone reassure me that giving my Nat Insurance No in this way wouldn't create problem for me?

I am not sure if I am in the right thread!

Thanks in advance

if its a hobby why not do it for nothing

JakiT

Hi all - thanks for your replies.

It doesn't really work like that 'publishing for nothing' and there's no real point in publishing without the option to make a few quid.

Jennifer, I don't want the tax office to know because I wouldn't be paying tax until earning over 11k so what is the point of having them alerted and causing me all sorts of problems? I am disabled.

I'm taking it from your answers the tax office would know if I give this information. If that is the case, I will just pull my ebooks from this platform and stick with the ones that don't need this information.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

So being disabled means you don't have to abide by the same rules as everyone else? This is undoubtedly taxable income, if no tax is due because of allowances this is down to HMRC to decide. We live in a system of self declaration, so the onus is on you to declare. Not doing so is an act that carries severe penalties. Up to you!

Darksparkle

JakiT wrote: »

Hi all - thanks for your replies.

It doesn't really work like that 'publishing for nothing' and there's no real point in publishing without the option to make a few quid.

Jennifer, I don't want the tax office to know because I wouldn't be paying tax until earning over 11k so what is the point of having them alerted and causing me all sorts of problems? I am disabled.

I'm taking it from your answers the tax office would know if I give this information. If that is the case, I will just pull my ebooks from this platform and stick with the ones that don't need this information.

And what about national insurance?

HMRC ask you to register for self assessment regardless of whether you're below the personal allowance.

JakiT

Bluebirdman, if you had a clue what it is to be disabled these days and how hard it is to get disability benefits, my only form of income, you wouldn't come out with such an appalling statement. I'm sorry I posted here. No help, no clue.

dori2o

It was you who didn't want to register their income for fear ofinforming HMRC and DWP.

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

Whether it falls under permitted workor not, failing to declare is a form of fraud,whether it be £10 or the hundreds of millions/billions that people fail to declare year on year.

JakiT

Oh and for your information Dori20, people on ESA are allowed to earn £20 a week under Pemitted Work Rules, and more if they are on supported employment so get your facts straight before slandering people with accusations of benefit fraud. I am sure that must be against the rules of the forum.

JakiT

Laughable. You call a few quid a month an income? Seriously? Don't be so absurd. You've got your priorities all out of proportion. Benefit fraud it extremely low but shame on you for believing all the hype and nonsense you obviously read in the likes of The Daily Fail.

The fear of the DWP, if you really have any idea of how they work, is because of the punitive regulations that have brought in since 2010 which makes seriously ill people and people with serious fluctuating conditions as myself full of fear. If you knew have any idea of what it is to have a mental health condition where fear is all encompassing you before you've even started you would understand the fear instead of coming out with your glib judgemental comments and diagnosis by Internet. You know nothing about me or my situation. Many disabled people need a creative outlet if they are stuck at home. Go away and educate yourself