Working for Uber?

a.turner

sevenhills wrote: »

I recall being on a training course and they said private hire just have yearly checks, ie their MOT.

They don't need an mot but tests start at 12 months old.

sevenhills

Johno100 wrote: »

UBER drivers in this country are all licenced Private Hire (Minicab to those in London) drivers and subject to the same background checks. Likewise their vehicles are also subject to the same council checks, including I believe six monthly inspections. They'd also need to provide evidence they have hire and reward private hire insurance in place.

In my local area, any new private hire cars being registered must be less than 5 years old, a currently licensed saloon vehicle will continue to be re-licensed for up to 7 years from the date of first registration.
Not sure if that means a further 7 years, so a private hire vehicle could be 12 years old.

a.turner

sevenhills wrote: »

In my local area, any new private hire cars being registered must be less than 5 years old, a currently licensed saloon vehicle will continue to be re-licensed for up to 7 years from the date of first registration.
Not sure if that means a further 7 years, so a private hire vehicle could be 12 years old.

Date of first registration is when it first came onto the road.

System

sevenhills wrote: »

I was reading that drivers have their own car insurance, then Uber insure them on top of that, so without Uber taking their cut, any paying passengers would not be insured.

Utter rubbish. A Uber in the UK has to operate under private hire regulations. You'd need to have a private hire plate issued to you by your local council, you'd need to have a vehicle that meets the issuing authority's standards and also their requirements for MOTs which could be twice a year. You will also be required to have the proper insurances in place as well and you'd require a taxi driver's personal badge too.

In short you basically have to be the same as a mini-cab company, unlike the USA where you just need to have the app and an Uber sticker in the window.

BananaRepublic

AdrianC wrote: »

Yup. All Uber is is a national(ish) minicab firm with a good app and a lot of brand recognition. Legally, it's no different to "AAAA1 Taxis".

Legally it is quite different. Uber claim they do no more than introduce drivers to customers hence drivers are classed as self employed, with no employees rights, and Uber pays no VAT, which HMRC are contesting in the courts. These big American companies are very good at avoiding tax.

sevenhills

Tarambor wrote: »

Utter rubbish. A Uber in the UK has to operate under private hire regulations. You'd need to have a private hire plate issued to you by your local council, you'd need to have a vehicle that meets the issuing authority's standards and also their requirements for MOTs which could be twice a year. You will also be required to have the proper insurances in place as well and you'd require a taxi driver's personal badge too.

I live in the Leeds area, they would charge £725 to comply with their regulations, whereas Calderdale the cost would be £532
Private hire drivers can pick their area these days, MOT once per year, depending in the authority.

peter_the_piper

Interesting times for Uber,uk
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/passengers-face-fare-hikes-after-uber-accused-of-taking-taxman-for-1bn-ride-vt8ht588w

Johno100

sevenhills wrote: »

I live in the Leeds area, they would charge £725 to comply with their regulations, whereas Calderdale the cost would be £532
Private hire drivers can pick their area these days, MOT once per year, depending in the authority.

You've suddenly become a lot more knowledgeable on this subject than you supposedly were when you started this thread.

Johno100

BananaRepublic wrote: »

Legally it is quite different. Uber claim they do no more than introduce drivers to customers hence drivers are classed as self employed, with no employees rights, and Uber pays no VAT, which HMRC are contesting in the courts. These big American companies are very good at avoiding tax.

80+ percent of taxi drivers (private hire and black cab) are self employed. I wonder what percentage of those are VAT registered or for that matter account to the tax man for their true earnings?

Car_54

BananaRepublic wrote: »

Legally it is quite different. Uber claim they do no more than introduce drivers to customers hence drivers are classed as self employed, with no employees rights, and Uber pays no VAT, which HMRC are contesting in the courts. These big American companies are very good at avoiding tax.

So no different to most other Minicabs firms.
Fares go to driver, who doesn’t earn enough to charge VAT. The fees he has to pay to Uber, however, are subject to VAT.