OMG I have had 3 orders for cakes! HOORAY!! but dh thinks i should register for tax, should I ?

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

I made a dancing cake for a dance party at the weekend, and the dance teacher wants my details as a lot of people apparently used to order cakes from one of her students who's moved on, so now she wants to use me!! Have had a couple of other orders too, both from friends.
So Ive made four that ive been paid for so far with others in the pipeline, dp thinks I should register incase someone (in his words) "shops you to the tax office". Should I? I'm sure i wont earn enough to pay tax over a year, I already fill in one tax return a year for the minding, so I suppose I could register and do that return at the same time. What would YOU do?

I sometimes buy a cake. The cake decorating shop I use has wonderful, flat, delicious, perfectly baked cakes in 8, 10 and 12 inch squares.

Eats into the profits a bit though!

Wow great cakes !

I agree with Hatwoman - it would all go on one return and I'm not sure you'd have to register it separately as you are self employed so all your income would go down as income from employment (Sh E ? Am a bit rusty). So, I would have thought that as long as you include any income from the cakes on the tax return it would be ok. Howevr, I'd give the tax office a quick call to check (however painful calling the tax office is !!).

seeker, that sounds IDEAL, how much do they charge? That would certainly take the stress out of it for me, I really love decorating, but really don't enjoy baking. My choc recipe works well, but seriously, I am on my FOURTH mediera cake which needs to be done for sunday morning pick up. The one ive done looks ok, but havent cut it yet, so hope its done in the middle........
Thanks wheelybug, that does seem to make sense, I will give them a ring and check, thanks for the advice!

I didnt see that poshtottie, but did you see the hairy bikers wedding cake that they made, it was BRILLIANT, with a couple in a camper van as the top cake!

I would register personally

MIL i a bit of a suardcraft doyenne (won some magazine comp a few years bac)

her cakes start at £40, wedding cakes max out at £400.

and she's neve r short of orders. work out the percentage you think you deserve (I think she works on 30% but the frilly flrals do take hours), then se that as a guideline on top of costs (inc electricity)

that website is amazing but way ott - did you see the blurb about figures? £50 .

I have just ordered a cake from waitrose - it wasn't as nice as yours and I paid £45 for it.

Last year I spent £60 on my DD's fairy castle cake so I think your cakes are a bargain. I wish I'd seen this before I ordered that cake from waitrose.

wow that sites amazing - love the swimming pool one - anyone else thinking hmmm I could do that??? We'll see!! I'll start well in advance in case have to do last minute dash to asda!

Hanbagqueen - I am doing my Goddaughter £60 worth of favour making her a fairy castle ? Actually it was worth that and more to see her face and the faces of all the uber-competitive alpha mummies when their DD's went 'I want one just like that' when they saw last year's Barbie princess [evil cackle]