[indies] Regarding tax..

How do you lot pay it?

In construction, I'm under CIS (Construction Industry Scheme)... Basically, I get payed for a job, knock 20% off and pay that 20% of monthly earnings each month... I could pay it at the end of the tax year but I prefer to get it sorted.

So, is it roughly the same here and do the same rules apply?

When I go down the tax office, what scheme should I ask for? I know all about VAT, so thats okay on that front.

I'd rather have a little idea on whats going on before I visit the taxman than walking in with head in the clouds, plus I can do a spot of research on the tax website too.

Any pointers will be grand! ;)

Dabz

I'm not doing it any more, but when I was, HM Revenue & Customs (formerly Inland Revenue) sent me a Self Assessment form at the end of each tax year.

I paid £2 per week Class 2 national insurance, and the Self Assessment form provides calculations for income based Class 4 national insurance. You aren't required to provide evidence of your income/accounts if your annual turnover was below £15,000. However, they may check into this on a random basis so I wouldn't recommend trying to fiddle the books.

As for VAT, I never went anywhere near it since I was only dealing within the EU and was miles below the (then) £55,000 VAT threshhold.

Bear in mind that all of this was a couple of years ago now, so some of it may have changed (certainly the VAT threshhold). You should be able to find everything you need to know at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ or call them if you get stuck. They're really helpful (until you owe them money, then they can be a bit arsey).

I wish this was the same in sweden, you need to be VAT reg. if you sell anything to the EU on a regular basis (which is good in a way b'cos i get all my 'buisiness' stuff vat free :)
I wish it was more like the Uk tho'. Welcome to the United states of Europe :/

As for income tax (and he does my VAT), i have an accountant i pay about 40 quid a month who does all the books (worth his weight!)

To be honest, CIS was right over the top... I had to carry a card with a photo of me on when I went to sites. And if I was contracted, I had to give the contractors a photocopy of the card.

Now that I am a contractor, its mostly a role reversal... until this tax year when all I have to do is provide a payslip to the sub-contractor.

It seems mostly the same... And I think they audit more in construction... Mostly if your under a company name (Mine is MD Plastering Services), then they cross reference your accounts with sub-contractors and look for any hint of you hiring people on the fiddle.

I also got the fright of my life after my first tax year... I have to pay half this years tax just under 6 months in advance... OMG!!!

I am looking at getting out of the building game, my hands is knackered with dermitis, there's countless other plastering services springing up (Bloody polish nicking all the work) and apart from a handful of companies I do work for, its a slog trying to get private work (Because somebody knows somebody that will do it on the fiddle). And when I work for companies, I'm usually, well, most of the time nowadays under a 30 day payment period.

One company rang me and asked if I would price some work... I'll not name names but they are my old company I worked for. I looked at the job, they asked me when I could start (Even without a quote), I said how longs the payment period, they replied NINETY DAYS... I just laughed, got in the van and drove away! hehehe

So, I'm going to have a big bash at developing games... I've done paid work before in small programming projects, I've worked out, on a shoe-string that I if I can manage £15000 a year (including small jobs plastering) I should be fine.

All I have to do is hold on tight! :)

Fingers crossed.

Dabz



No thank you! ;)

Don't wish to pee on your bonfire, but I'd keep building things and plastering stuff as a main source of income for now.

Writing games AND making money off them is fiendishly difficult, and I'd beat with a stick anyone who even considers giving up a well (or even average) paid job thinking they can switch straight to game dev and make a killing - such success is as rare as hen's teeth.

Wish I'd spent the last 20 years learning a trade instead of faffing about with programming. I'm damn sure I'd be a lot richer.

:D

Well, if I make it back up with Laura, she has a decent wage coming in too, she doesnt live with me at the moment, but her income is used in the house too.

Now, I try to grab as much work as I possibly can and earn a good wage doing it, a bloody good wage (And a lot of hours), but, I can reskim one living room a week (which would take me a day) and earn about £180 (after tax) from it. This would send my pay up to around £10k a year.

I'm a realistic person, I've thought about it long and hard... My hands itch with dermititus like they have been invaded by genital lice.

I'm one of them people that should of been a joiner, but ended up in the dirtiest traditional trade known.

If I never get out of it now, I may have to end up walking around with latex gloves smeared in vasaline, and my doctor has warned me about it to.

Its now and never, I either have a go, or I dont and risk my hands, which I'll never get another pair.

So if I have at least one living room ready every monday, I should be fine.

Dabz

Dabz, sorry to pry but I was curious.
Has your doctor prescribed treatments that haven't worked?
Have you tried alternative/self-care treatments?
Even another doctor?
Surely there is something that would work.

No probs...



Steroid cream/ointments... a fair few different makes, first off I tried cream that sank into the skin and wasnt real greasy, this sort of made it worse... then I moved onto more powerful ointments which I put on in the morning and at night after a bath, trouble was, I couldnt touch anything for a couple of hours, because it took yonks to sink in (pertroluem jelly based).

I also used to wear cotton gloves at work since a) when I got to work my hands were still greasy and b) during the day I had to apply vasaline. And its no good at all holding a plastering trowel when your hands are as greasy as hell.

I've tried barrier cream, even prescribed stuff... Same problem, over the counter stuff sinks in and prescribed stuff is greasy. Mix that with dust/water and constant movement on a trowel/hand board and it doesnt work as well... Gypsum still gets into my skin.

Mixing petroleum jelly based stuff with cotton gloves is a no-no too, as the powder gets under the glove and then you have the problem that the particles/dust just end up up sanding your hand... It eventually makes its way into the skin.

The problem with skimming is that you've got to 'touch' the wall through the trowel and its got to slide in your hands, but a controlled slide, not loads of grip but slack enough so it moves, its weird to explain, but ask any plasterer would they skim a wall with gloves on and they'll probably tell you they cannot, or wouldnt.

Latex gloves doesnt offer the same feel as cotton ones (They grip the trowel), and they are a bugger for tearing, especially on a building site!

Marigolds, I actually use them while drylining/concreting or screeding and are a decent option, but for skimming, they grip too much. And I do a lot of skimming! :)



Only the ones mentioned above (gloves), but then, it hampers my work, makes it worse or just doesnt work.



It was actually another doctor that told me to go to my doctor... I was plastering in a doctors (Happy House Surgery in Sunderland) and Mac the gaffer went on holiday and I took over the job for a fortnight, this meant I was updating/questioning the doctor (who was the client) about various stuff.

One day he came in to the office and he must of spied my hands, because he pointed and said "Give me a look at them"... So I showed him, he took a peek, and he told I had contact dermititus and I really should go see my doctor. He also told me that since I have fair hair, gypsum and lime effect my skin more than a dark haired individual, exactly the same when it comes to the sun.

His advice at the time (About three years ago now) was to see my doctor straight away (which I did), pack plastering in, or any trade that includes working with cement/gypsum or lime based materials, because if full blown dermititus kicks in, I'll know about it and will be 'medically retired'! :/

My doctor said exactly the same



Yep, keeping off the trowel would help wonders! :)

Dabz

Hi Dabz, sorry to send the thread off-topic.

Seems like you've been through all options except alternative treatments. Although from the sounds of it I think it's unlikely any treatment would help if you're constantly in contact with gypsum and lime.

I suppose the only answer is like you say, to stop plastering, at least until the dermatitis heals up.

lol, no worries, Gfk told me what I needed to know so its cushty! ;)



5 years on, 5 years off... sounds good to me! :) lol

Dabz

Hahaha I'm only 9 years old so I don't have to pay taxes! Muahahaha!
(My dad does all that stuff)

But you don't have any money either. Muhahaha.

my god dabz i stopped that 3 yrs ago...weekly or add 20%



what is that about, im a tiling contractor and & dont have this problem


umm the hand thing, i sympathize lost a good tiler that way

Hiya scribbla mate, how are you keeping.



Up here, most buildering companies wont touch you without the 30 payment holiday...



I'm sure its new(ish), because a plumbing mate of mine who went on his own thought he was doing canny and they stuffed him with a tax bill in January... He warned me about it.

Sure enough, a bill dropped through the door demanding half of last years tax amount by January 31st... I know its not exactly 6 months, but by the time you fanny on and wait for self-assessment to be processed, its high-on.



I know a few people that have gone the same way too, thats why I know its a serious thing.

Anyway, I have options, just gotta play them right thats all! :)

Dabz