If I had an afterschool nanny

[mackerel]

who collected my 3 kids from school 3 days per week at 3pm and was in my house til 5.30pm, (7.5 hrs perweek) am i still technically their employer and responsible for NI etc or can I just pay them their hourly rate? Sorry to seem a bit thick. Managed to work out how to advertise for someone but I'm not clear as to what mylegal responsibilities are for such few hours? I'd really appreciate any advice. I'm going back to work after a 9 yr career break and am finding my way. Thanks.

I think because it's regular you have to employ them. If they had several other nanny jobs then perhaps they could be considered self employed?

Could you employ someone as a mothers' help and perhaps pay them to do some cleaning and meal prep during the day?

Yes you would have to be their employer as it's a regular job.

AFAIK, Nannies can't be self-employed except for rare instances.

If you want all the ins and outs, check out Nannytax or Payefornannies websites.

Would recommend using a company like this to do a contract and sort out your tax.

You may be exempt from paying NI if your nanny earns less than around £90 a week.

ok thanks. Is it different if I have a mothers help then? Am I supposed to be home if its a mothers help?

Yes, you are their employer if their hours are regular, you define their duties and you set the terms (e.g. when you need them to work).

You are, however, unlike to pay tax/NI if it's their only employment and they earn under the threshold in a week with you. They could be self-employed at the same time -as a cleaner for example - but that wouldn't affect you. You would need to pay tax and NI on any earnings if they have another employment.

With a mothers help you don't need to be at home. They just tend to do more household duties than a nanny would. In you situation a mothers help would be similar to if you had an au pair - some household duties, limited sole charge of school aged children.

Mothers helps are often either inexperienced nannies looking to get a first sole charge position and therefore willing to do some chores or older people who want a few hours a week and are quite pragmatic about what needs doing around the house, so are more willing to muck in than a nanny who sees their job as solely childcare.

Thankyou - that is really helpful.

ok. So someone has responded and is interested. She's australian and worked as a childrens nurse there but not here. I guess from what you've said I need to therefore set myself up as an employer etc for 7.5 hrs per week in term time only. Seems very complicated and I'm thinking that after school club has suddenly got a whole lot more attractive. I'm assuming there'd be a massive penalty if I just paid her weekly cash in hand

In the region of £3k when HMRC catch you plus backpayments...

If you use a nannypayroll agency it is not complicated at all.

Right. Just rang Nanny Tax and they said that for a mother's help for 7.5 hrs per wk at £60 per wk then I don't need to register. ~If she works elsewhere she needs to tell her other employer. Think that's sorted now!

OP - may look into going down this route for my 2 DC's - where did you advertise? Also does that just mean you pay cash in hand? do you still have contracts etc?

thanks

Ummm you would need to if she had another job that took her tax free allowance as the tax code is likely to be different. Her other job would be the primary employer therefore everything with you is taxable and liable for NICs. For this reason always agree a gross wage!

When you take on a new employee they have to give you a P45. If they can't (because they have another job) you need to fill in a P46, where they'll tick the box saying they have another job. Info here from HMRC on what you do then, but in a nutshell the least you have to do is keep records.