To ask what should I do?

[Hairoftherabbitnotdog]

In my 50s, work FT in public sector. We need some extra money so I've secured a second job working 13 hours a week in the eves and a Saturday. The extra money isn't desperate but will help us a hell of a lot. I'm due to start tomorrow but :

I've realised I can only work for 8 weeks as otherwise I will severely risk going into the higher tax band. I can't afford to do that.

Earning the extra for 8 weeks assumes no bonuses and the usual minimum annual payrise in FT job. If these are any higher than i assume, then I'll risk going into the higher tax band this tax year.

Over the next 8 weeks I have a lot on - DH bday & wedding anniversary, meet and greet with a famous star, a wedding and I would need unpaid time off for all of these

I would be home in the eves at 7.45pm from the second job but by the time I get showered etc it will be 8.15pm if I were to go out.

I cba to work a second job. I can barely cope with FT plus ASD child who we need to cook for on demand and all the appts to arrange etc for them. ASD child has a hobby that we need to get them to on random dates (week & weekend).it's an hour away and we have to manage day time work around this. Eve/saturday work would not be affected by the times.

*DH has just told me I'll only pay higher tax on anything over the higher rate threshold, and not on my whole wage.

What should I do ? I've done this work and a second job before, a few year ago. The extra money would be amazing. But, but ..

To quantify, 8 weeks work will be worth £1k net

What's your notice period on the new job?

Could you start it and see how it goes? Will there be ramifications if you quit eg could it ruin your chances of getting another second job?

How much do you need the extra cash? Have you exhausted ways to save?

Unless your losing child benefit, or the higher band you’re talking about is £100k+ and you benefit from free childcare, I don’t understand why you’re so worried about being in the higher rate tax band? You’ll still be better off by earning more, even if you’re paying more tax on those earnings?

Whether you want to take on the second job is a separate question though, and whether you want to take it on knowing that you’ll only keep 58% of the wages is another question again… but not taking it to avoid being in a higher tax bracket is just nonsense.

As above, I’m not sure what you’re worrying about. If you are looking for excuses to not do the extra job. Not wanting to is enough surely. It’s 8weeks.

I think if it did push you into the higher band you would earn £600 as it would be taxed at 40% although it could make you change tax codes on both jobs

is it worth it

Higher tax band I'm talking about is 50k marker, not £100+ (didn't know there was one at £100k +)

You do realise that you'll only pay higher rate tax on the portion of your income that is above the higher rate threshold?
And that you won't pay any NI on it because the NI threshold is per employer, no the same as the personal tax allowance?

Your availability to do the work you should have thought through before bothering to apply.

I would change tax code on FT job and then surely I would be worse off ? The extra tax I would be paying- if I hit £50k + further down the line this tax year - would mean I would lose money. Money which in effect would be the extra money I earned earlier on in the year

Don’t do it, you have enough to do. Do a financial detox instead, go through all your outgoings and see where you can save some money instead then use the time to give yourself a break.

I have a very low key second job that is minimal effort. I could do a third but frankly enough is enough. The money would be nice but then I would be stressed, we would end up relying on takeaways or convenience food and I would have no time to spend with DH or do the things I want to do.

Don’t do it.

Yes but it is still relevant I freelance and the advice is when you are near a tax bracket is to weigh up whether the job is worth it because if the amount of tax and what your hourly rate will be and whether it is worth it

@Tiswa I get that, I am an accountant
From the OPs posts, she doesn't seem to understand a great deal about the tax system, and may not be aware of the NI benefits of a second job, hence pointing them out.

update - Having read the replies on here and the tax rules, it seems that with a second job earnings I will pay my usual tax throughout the year on 20% code. I will go over the £50K threshold with my last pay check in March 2026. I will then have to pay 40% tax on around £350ish (being the amount I will be over on the £50,271 threshold). This isn't too bad. The job is for 12 weeks, I had said to myself I would do 8 weeks due to the tax but I will now do the full 12 weeks.

@tryingtobesogood I really really really do not want to do it. I will earn around £1500 net for 12 weeks. I am thinking that I will just get my head down and just bolster through the 12 weeks but it will be eating into my summer. I work 8am - 4.30pm in the day and will then go to this job 6pm-8pm. I also have the gym/swimming/walking that I like to do and I run the house in terms of food shops/admin/DC appts/anything school related/cleaning/washing/tidying. Plus, and I don't know why this is bothering me, where I will be working will be full of men. I don't have a problem with men, but personally I would just want to do the 2 hours each eve and get on with it while speaking to absolutely no one.