Before-school care. What do I need to know?

[maybeminefield]

I need early morning childcare for my DCs (9 & 7), just to supervise breakfast and then take them to school. Approx 1.5hrs, 3 days a week. It's the sort of job that might suit a responsible student as much as a qualified nanny, especially as we live near a university. However, having looked at the Nanny Tax website, I'm worried about the whole "becoming an employer" side of things. Tell me about your experiences! Is it best to try and find someone who is already nannying for someone else so they can be self employed and reduce the admin burden on me as an employer?

Would they not be a self employed babysitter?

I don't know superram. What's the difference between a self employed babysitter and a nanny? According to the Nannytax website, nannies aren't allowed to be self-employed unless they work for more than one family. If I employ a student for 1.5 hours, 3 times a week, and it's their only job, does that make them a nanny or a babysitter?

How about a cm? Lots work from 6am onwards, give breakfast then take kids to school.

If it is their only job, would you be paying more than £90 a week? I doubt it, so you would not need to register as an employer or do paye.

The problem is when it is not their only job, as if they already have a job you need to register as an employer, which will probably mean doing paye. You could do that yourself though, using HMRC web tools, or use a payroll company - some charge around £100, others more.

Even if you did have to do paye, you would not have to pay employers NI as you would not be paying enough, assuming that you are not planning on paying over £90 a week.

The exact amounts of the lower earnings limit for national insurance and employers NI threshold is on the HMRC website. Payroll companies could also advise, a good one should point out to you the situations where you would not need to register as employer and those situations where you will need to do so.

It will all depend on the person you employ and how much you pay.

Thanks Cindy34, looks like you're right. According to this HMRC info, "If you pay your employee less than £109 a week and they don't have another job elsewhere - or other taxable income such as a pension - you don't have to do anything."

Hmm ... what if they say they don't have another job when they start, but then get one later? I can see I'll need some sort of contract (in fact I probably need one anyway) which makes it clear they need to tell me if they get another job.

[Off I go to investigate example contracts ...]