Self employment.... is it worth the hassle?

[veggielover]

After rowing for 4 months with the local council over my husbands income and expenses, we finally resolved the issue......... Then came the Tax credits renewal, usually easy peasy..... not this year!!!! just had my award notice only to find they have worked out our new award on his top line figure didn't even bother to knock of the expenses figure, which at this moment in time means i "owe" them!!!! I have rang them up and pointed out their error and was spoke to as if it was all my fault??? how can they blame me?? i put everything they asked for. Been told that the " new " figures have now been put into the system and that i will have a new award notice in a few weeks........ angry at the " new " figures, as the "new" figures are exactly the same as i gave them 2 weeks ago. How do they expect us to understand their forms if they can't understand them themselves???

[quark1]

Tax Credits - ain't they a piece of work?

Quite frankly if the tax system were fair then Gordy would not have ((had) as chancellor) to tinker in the manner he has.

He has created a (monster) system which imho is rather like the ooselum bird - constantly trying to view the world from the viewpoint of looking up its own orifice!

Complicated beyond the capacity of its computers and those who operate and program them. Just like the CSA should be kicked into touch and simply let us all have an allowance for each dependant, like the old days. Married men with a working wife should be entitled to just single allowance and she hers. If he/she 'retires' from workforce to be a homemaker then give him/her an extra allowance. If, and when, kids come along - an allowance for each until the age of 18 - no more. If they take on the care for an elderly/infirm relative another allowance.

It should be per 'undertaking' with a set limit not dependant upon income. You either do the job or not.

All this nonsense dependant upon income in certain years and certain cut-off points is so unbearably complicated and often leads to errors. The old way - you either ticked the box or not - end of. No complicated calculations for joint earings and so on.

You have my sympathies and I hope you get it sorted soon - but what does the computer say.....?

[Hilary B]

After rowing for 4 months with the local council over my husbands income and expenses, we finally resolved the issue......... Then came the Tax credits renewal, usually easy peasy..... not this year!!!! just had my award notice only to find they have worked out our new award on his top line figure didn't even bother to knock of the expenses figure, which at this moment in time means i "owe" them!!!! I have rang them up and pointed out their error and was spoke to as if it was all my fault??? how can they blame me?? i put everything they asked for. Been told that the " new " figures have now been put into the system and that i will have a new award notice in a few weeks........ angry at the " new " figures, as the "new" figures are exactly the same as i gave them 2 weeks ago. How do they expect us to understand their forms if they can't understand them themselves???

Oh the joys of providing accounts to government associated people!
It was called Family Income Supplement when we had a farm that didn't make any profit. We got phone calls asking about apportioning the mortgage cost between the house and the land. Fortunately a knowledgeable neighbour advised informing them that the mortgage was on the land, the house we had paid 'cash' for. That was just ONE of the complications!
It's all so much easier when someone else is told how much they must pay you, days off ill get paid for, etc.....
I think we'll stick with the business though (not farming any more). I can't see us getting work for anyone else....

[NOG]

They paid me £407 amonth so I phoned and said shouldn't it be £407 per year. Next month £407....same again phoned agasin wrote...eventusally they agreed I was over paid and I am still paying it back by having it deducted out of my next lot of credits.

[veggielover]

Today my letter said i would be getting 29.55 for the year!!!!! lol They made a major cock up!! i should be getting around 50 pound per week give or take a few pence. But as i said they didn't acknowledge the expenses that we have to pay out so as far as their concerned we earned 20,000 this financial year...... if only that were true! i suppose it was but half of that went on expenses! we actually made a loss this year compared to previous years......

[Snadger]

Self employment.... is it worth the hassle?

Ask Bill Gates!

[braders]

I ended up owing them...a few grand...Im not going into detail or I will be here till the early hours...I didnt get Tax Credits for a long time, as I owed them...its a very frustrating benefit system...enough said...getting annoyed as I am typing this.

Cheers
braders...

[sewer rat]

Is self employment worth the hassle - NO !

[Scottishnewbie]

I think 'yes' it is worth it, though it is without a doubt a lot of hassle and I can understand why lots of people don't even consider it. But think how great it is to work your own hours, be able to work round family/kids and also be able to see to your veg pretty much as you want to..........

[sewer rat]

I think 'yes' it is worth it, though it is without a doubt a lot of hassle and I can understand why lots of people don't even consider it. But think how great it is to work your own hours, be able to work round family/kids and also be able to see to your veg pretty much as you want to..........

Work my own hours - that's pretty much minimum of 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Work around family and kids - have been on holiday with them for 5 days in three years.
Sick of it, absolutely sick of it. Could work 9-5, 5 days a week, more money, sick pay, holidays, weekends off, spend time with my wife and daughters, no hassle with form filling, tax returns, VAT, DEFRA, Scottish Water, SEPA, etc etc etc.

[Scottishnewbie]

The obvious question then.....

Work my own hours - that's pretty much minimum of 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Work around family and kids - have been on holiday with them for 5 days in three years.
Sick of it, absolutely sick of it. Could work 9-5, 5 days a week, more money, sick pay, holidays, weekends off, spend time with my wife and daughters, no hassle with form filling, tax returns, VAT, DEFRA, Scottish Water, SEPA, etc etc etc.

So I have to ask: "why do you still do it then?"

[shirlthegirl43]

So I have to ask: "why do you still do it then?"

Because it totally beats having to answer to some toerag boss

[sewer rat]

So I have to ask: "why do you still do it then?"

Won't be for much longer

[Scottishnewbie]

Hey Rat, hope whatever you do next works out for you. It does seem that you work much longer hours/days than other SE folks....so guess it HAS to make life easier for you and you get more time to do th stuff you want to do.

Don't give up the vine though as lots of us here NEED your expertise and knowledge!!!!!

Don't lose sight of what's important............I lived in NE Scotland for years and worked in...wait for it.........LONDON! Up at 4am Monday mornings and home again Fridya night...too knackered to do much of anything..plus had 2 small kids at the time! I must have been mental...OH worked shifts and all I seemed to do was organise childcare......yup, had more money than we do now...but not nearly as happy......

[SarzWix]

Oh Ratty... I'm sorry things are so crappy for you. Have a (((hug))) hun.