Prolific Academic Survey Alerts

Mum161111

Thanks ele_91.  I've been panicking a bit but not because I don't  want to pay what tax I owe.  I haven't been able to sleep and I have started "working on it."  I am out of my depth, technically, but need to get to grips with this without delay.

I have deleted most of this long post.  snowwhyte has very kindly suggested the best way forward for me.  The problem is that I am not good with technology and, for now, I'll need to do things the slow way.

I appreciate all the replies, thank you very much.  

snowwhyte

I think the Prolific banner shows this year from January. Either way just ignore it. You need to start by finding your Prolific income from April 23 to April 24. Because the conversion rate can make the amount on Prolific incorrect it's best to use your PayPal statement or your bank statement.
If you're not great with technology take the slightly longer but simple route and just get a pen and paper. Go to the PayPal site and click on the activity section. Search for transactions from Prolific. Scroll back to the correct dates. Write down any payments and the date they arrived. Add them all up. Is it more than £1000? No? You don't need to file before Jan 2025. Yes, don't panic. Go to the HMRC website and register as self-employed. Submit your tax return, pay tax. 
Do the same for any transactions from April 24. If you're over £1000 or likely to be then register as self-employed and fill in your tax return by the end of January 2026. 
If you are fine with technology and just want the quick and easy way just filter by date on PayPal, download a CSV, load it in a spreadsheet program and get it to add up your earnings for you. 

Mum161111

Thank you very much, snowwhyte.  I'll do that.  Thank you again, all, for your replies.

littlegreenant

I agree, thank you snowwhyte, very clear and helpful.

I’m trying to register for 23/24 self assessment but not even sure I’m doing this part right! Or even what this comes under as I’m not a sole trader…
How accurate does it need to be as I made a note of my additional income each month but not to the nearest penny… one question asks the date I went over 1000, I know the month but not the specific date…

snowwhyte

If Prolific is your only self-employed income then you're a sole trader. It just means you don't have a registered business or a partner. 
https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/starting-out/sole-trader-vs-self-employed/
If you need to figure out what date you hit £1000 and already know what month it was then total your earnings up until that date and then just add on each additional payment until you hit £1000 and check what date that was. I doubt the exact date makes much of a difference to HMRC. If you ever get audited and made a small mistake like that I doubt they'd care as long as you paid the correct tax amount and paid it on time. 

snowwhyte

Also I'm giving advice based on my experience. I'm not a tax expert. Check the HMRC website to make sure everything is done correctly. 

littlegreenant

When registering for self assessment, I selected the option “I’ve untaxed income which cannot be coded under PAYE” 
Think I’ve done the first step wrong

silvercar

littlegreenant said:

I agree, thank you snowwhyte, very clear and helpful.

I’m trying to register for 23/24 self assessment but not even sure I’m doing this part right! Or even what this comes under as I’m not a sole trader…
How accurate does it need to be as I made a note of my additional income each month but not to the nearest penny… one question asks the date I went over 1000, I know the month but not the specific date…

The date will be that of the PayPal payment that took you over £1000, not the date of the survey that did so.

Next March, if you are nearing the £1000 and don’t want to go over it, you could always keep funds within prolific until April 6. Cash out on April 6 and reconsider doing the same March 2026. That’s my plan. I was nearing the limit in March, so I didn’t withdraw until April 6 had passed. This year I think I’m slightly behind last years running total, so plan on doing the same again.

snowwhyte

That sounds right? Your Prolific earnings aren't included in your PAYE tax because it's your first time filing. Once you've filed, if you do owe tax it can be deducted from your employment earnings through PAYE or you can just pay it when you file to simplify things. 
https://www.litrg.org.uk/tax-nic/how-tax-collected/self-assessment-and-tax-returns
https://www.gov.uk/pay-self-assessment-tax-bill/through-your-tax-code

snowwhyte

Although it does say cannot be coded through PAYE. If you owe less than £3000 then I guess that can be coded through PAYE.