Private tutoring: advise on invoicing please

lillyofthevalley

Hello to everyone. I've just joined this Forum but have been following a few threads for quite sometimes and it's been really helpful.

I've been registered as Sole-Trader for nearly 5 years now.
The company the hired me to to provide IT 1st line technical support from home, a German company, have greatly reduced the amount of calls due to their leaving some of the clients (or so I was told). That left me with very little income and I'm lucky if I make over £100 in a month :-(
I've been supplementing my income by doing private tutoring, and buskin on good days when the weather is good. It's been really difficult to say the least.
Anyway, what I'd like to know is do I have to leave a small receipt or invoice every time one of my pupil pays me, or I can just keep a book with the dates and amount?
I'm confused when it comes to invoicing and a receipts.

Bean_Counter

Hi,

I am assuming that you are not VAT registered.

There is no legal requirement to issue a receipt, although for many it is good practice. You do of course have to keep good records to be able to calculate your business income and costs for self assessment purposes.

One idea might be to have a carbon receipt book (or whatever they are called) where you can give a receipt and retain a copy for your own records.

lillyofthevalley

Bean_Counter wrote: »

Hi,

I am assuming that you are not VAT registered.

There is no legal requirement to issue a receipt, although for many it is good practice. You do of course have to keep good records to be able to calculate your business income and costs for self assessment purposes.

One idea might be to have a carbon receipt book (or whatever they are called) where you can give a receipt and retain a copy for your own records.

That's correct, I'm not VAT registered.
At the moment I write down every time a student pays me in a diary, then enter it to the spreadsheet.
I'll buy a carbon receipt book. It should keep things simple.

Thank you :-)

whitewing

Hi,

Speak to the tax office or get some professional advice on this. I believe that private tutoring is VAT exempt, but I don't know the implications of this.

Bean_Counter

whitewing wrote: »

I believe that private tutoring is VAT exempt

Private tutoring is exempt for VAT provided it is:

1. in a subject ordinarily taught in a school or university, and

2. given by an individual teacher acting independently of an employer.

I would guess that lillyofthevalley is not covered by this exemption, but I would imagine that her income from this is well below the £64,000 VAT regsitration threshold anyway.

lillyofthevalley

Bean_Counter wrote: »

Private tutoring is exempt for VAT provided it is:

1. in a subject ordinarily taught in a school or university, and

2. given by an individual teacher acting independently of an employer.

I would guess that lillyofthevalley is not covered by this exemption, but I would imagine that her income from this is well below the £64,000 VAT regsitration threshold anyway.

£64,000 ? :O
I wish My income is weeeell below that figure, but that's very encouraging.
Yes, I teach subjects tought a school and college at GCSE level, and I'm independent of an employer.