Can I do legal nixers?

Hey all,

I spend a fair bit of time with a camera in my hands. I do a bit of work experience for a crowd and everything goes well. Helps me get my name out there and try to learn more about the world of photography.


A company have approached me asking me could I price them for a job that would require working a series of Sundays.

I'm unemployed (hence the above mentioned work experience), so I was wondering, can I do these Sundays for the guys, and just tell Social Welfare that I'm earning on these days? Can they tell me it's grand then and bang away and that's me laughing, or is it much more complicated than that?

Or will I have to declare income to revenue and start jumping through hoops to please everyone?

Just a bit confused and thought I'd see if anyone here would know.


Cheers

Yawns

Social welfare don't pay you on Sundays. You are paid jobseekers allowance from Mon - Sat so unless you're earning thousands just work ahead

Tigger

so i can work sundays and still be on full time unemployment?

i doubt it

Yawns

Take a look at your job seekers allowance slip. It tells you what days you are being paid for. If you were working in a full time job for a company on Mon - Fri, would you go ask their permission to do a nixer on a Sunday?

As for tax purposes I'm unsure what you would have to declare if anything. I would assume you won't be earning enough on a Sunday that would be more than you job seekers allowance.

I am aware that Jobseeker payments don't include Sundays, but seen as I'd be earning, while also being unemployed, I figured I may be in some grey area.

Am I allowed to legally make x or y amount of money before i have to declare anything to Revenue (that is, can I make €500 without revenue caring, but if I make €501, do i then have to declare my income? Is there a cut off or limit before you must declare, or is it every penny)?

dublin daz

Although you're not paid for Sunday on JSA, any income on this day has to be declared and will be factored into a means test.

Because the Social Welfare don't pay for Sunday doesn't mean you can work that day without notifying DSP.

dublin daz

Most likely if you earn 500 on Sunday you won't qualify for Jobseekers Allowance.

tenchi-fan

Can't help with figures but here's a good place to start:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/irish_social_welfare_system/means_test_for_social_welfare_payments/work_and_jobseekers_allowance.html

Sunday is not counted as a day of work, so your daily means from Sunday are not taken into account for Jobseeker’s Allowance. However, you must include your earnings from Sunday to get your assessable weekly earnings.

If your weekly means from all sources are greater than the maximum Jobseeker’s Allowance payment for your situation then you will not get Jobseeker’s Allowance.

tenchi-fan

tenchi-fan wrote: »

Can't help with figures but here's a good place to start:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/irish_social_welfare_system/means_test_for_social_welfare_payments/work_and_jobseekers_allowance.html

Seems to all be worded in such a way that I'd be working every sunday, permanently.

Whereas what I'm looking at, is probably 3 Sundays, each will pay me about €30-€50 (so a max of about €150 or so at the end of it all), and then that'd be it over and done with. There'd be no further Sundays.

Hmm.. Maybe it'd be just handier to ring social welfare on Monday morning, see if they can answer any questions.

Yawns

I took from your first couple of posts it's just going to be a temp thing and in around maybe 500 or less for the total payment of a few weeks work.

Unless it's a permanent thing I wouldn't worry. If you're worried, pop into your local office and explain you want to work on a Sunday for 3 weeks as part of a work experience thing. Tell them you hope to maybe get a contact for a job out of it even. It shouldn't be a problem and I wouldn't see you need to claim it to revenue.

It's a short temp situation and you won't be earning lots.

I think I will just give them a shout and see what they say about it. I know it's unlikely they'd even care, but knowing my luck, if I did do it and it was screwing the system over, I'd be caught straight away.

There's a lot to be said for peace of mind. I'll post back if I hear anything on it, or to let you guys know how I get on.

Mrs OBumble

Are you on JS allowance (JSA) or benefit (JSB).

If JSB, then you're not allowed to be earning from self-employment at all.

TBH, if you're talking about 30-50 per week for three weeks, I can't help but wonder if you should just stay away from money. Or maybe give the company a price, but ask them to donate the dosh to a charity rather than pay you. (Maybe even ask them to do it in cash and get you to carry it between them and the charity, if you get my drift.)

I normally advocate being 110% above board, but potentially you could be opening a huge can of worms here for a very tiny amount of money.

Re Revenue, if you take less than E3000 in a year, you don't have to register as a sole-trader. But you are required to declare all income and are liable for tax on it.

Bluetonic

JustMary wrote: »

I normally advocate being 110% above board, but potentially you could be opening a huge can of worms here for a very tiny amount of money.

What exactly are you advocating so?

Please be clear.

"tiny amount" is relevant in context for everyone.

JustMary wrote: »

(Maybe even ask them to do it in cash and get you to carry it between them and the charity, if you get my drift.)

hmmm. Interesting.

Hardly moderation?

Yawns

Let's face it, if he's only earning €150 over 3 weeks and that's all, then I hardly think it'll be the crime of the century if he didn't declare it or inform DSP. It would be different if he was earning enough to support himself for the week or if it was a permanent position. Ideally he can take this work experience and maybe get a job opportunity out of it.

Yawns

BlueTonic, I think JustMary is just being realistic.

Yawns wrote: »

Ideally he can take this work experience and maybe get a job opportunity out of it.

That's kinda what I'm hoping for, to be honest. Or even if not that, then perhaps maybe I can get more jobs out of it, and start to figure out if the road to self-employment is one worth taking.

It's all just a fairly awkward situation. I just don't want to screw over welfare for a measly amount of money, and end up getting caught for it (although I have heard of the silly 'punishments' where people are required to pay back what they earned at €5 and €10 per week :rolleyes: ).


I might not even get the work, as I'm sure the company have contacted other photographers, but I may try and go for it anyway. See what happens, at least.

Yawns

I had an issue one time where it turns out I was receiving €30 extra each week for 2 months than I should have been. The DSP claimed this was my fault but in the end all that happened was they deducted €5 per week til it was balanced out.

I did a nixor a while back for 4 weeks earning a grand total of €200 at the end of the 4 weeks so same as yourself. This wasn't a route to a self employed position but the owner is in the process of trying to get a new place up and running and I have a great chance of landing a permanent high role in the new establishment. I still chat to this lad every week and he's asking for ideas for the new place already so I am hopeful.

I didn't declare to dsp or revenue. Not worth the time and hassle. If I get a job out of it and get myself off the live register won't it be worth it in the long term saving the state thousands and getting tax from me. If I had told the guy I was informign the DSP I would be working those Sundays for him he wouldn't have wanted to even think about the idea of DSP asking him questions so I prob wouldn't have gotten the few days work over the few weeks.