Tax - low earner how can I prove salary?

[angelinwellies]

I would be very grateful for help and advice please.

I am a sahm trying to work inside school hours. I have a 12hr per week job working as an administrator for a very tiny local firm. Think 2 employees and a volunteer or two size. I work at home on my own personal equipment. I have held this position since 1st May 2015. I have in all this time only received about 5 payslips and only when I query it and non consecutive. I am under the tax threshold as I am on the living wage.

The owner basically refuses to complete any kind of payslip as I don’t pay tax. He sees it as an irrelevance. However, I thought it was a legal thing that an employee (I have a contract this isn’t like a paper round. I had an interview, references checked and signed a contract!) has a payslip. My salary is paid into my bank account on a set date per month.

I am about to start a second job as a school dinner lady for 90 mins a day during term times so it will be interesting to see what they do I guess. It bothers me greatly that I don’t exist to the tax office. This is by far as “off grid” as I’ve been bar a full time sahm as I’ve always previously been corporate. I’d feel happier with some sort of paper trail as the owner makes it feel quite underhand intentionally or not. And with this second role won’t I need to be recorded for NI contributions? Won’t that also impact my pension contributions?

I have contacted the tax office to no avail. They don’t seem that interested as I’m not earning enough to be interesting to them. I’ve tried their website. I cannot find this answer anywhere.

How can I make my first employer give me a payslip? Do I need to? Am I worried over nothing? And what do I need to be careful of in regards to NI and Pension being a low earner? Do I self assess?

It bothers me I cannot prove my income or it’s source. How can I even say, apply with my husband for a mortgage if I cannot prove where my salary comes from?

All advice gratefully received thank u

Do you get a P60 at the end of the Tax year ?

I don't know the ins and outs if you don't pay tax, but thought you still got one, as evidence of your income, to show you have earned, but not enough. I'm no tax expert or accountant, but have just always had these (and so did my ds get one when just working in holidays, as a student - which is why I presume you should).

We haven't had payslips for some years since my employer has been trying to save £££. I understand you can look at documentation online if you want to, but the P60 is the annual evidence of your earnings.

I had this years ago in a job I did. Turned out the did t put me through the books. I only found out when I tried to claim maternity allowance. It cost me around £60 per week as I had to claim MA on my part time evening job instead. Fuckera.

It's important you chase this up and ensure you are paid through the books.

I've earned below the tax threshold before but always been given a P60 at the end of the year detailing this, it dose sound suspiciously like there not putting your wage through the books.

If your one of two employees is the other the owner? I think they don't need insurance it they only have owner working, so could be why they don't want to go official about your employment.

As pp have said look carefully to see if your covered for national insurance. If your earning over £8000 ish you should be paying something, and if your not might course problems down the line with mat pay / JSA / Sick pay etc

It all depends on whether he has any other employees earning over the tax threshold. If he does then he has an obligation to run a PAYE scheme for everyone regardless of how much he earns.

If he has no one earning over the threshold then he does not have any obligation to run PAYE. He has to keep a note for his accounts of how much you are paid & you are expected to do the same.

In your new 2nd job you will have to fill in a starters declaration. Because you will state that you have another job this may mean you are taxed at basic rate. You may possibly have to reclaim at the end of the year. (Usually under RTI it would do this automatically each week but as your first employer doesn't run PAYE it might not.

Investigating further however under the Payment of Wages Act 1991 you are entitled to a written statement of pay.

By law you should have a contract of employment and receive payslips whether or not you are paying tax or NI. It doesn't sound like you ar through the books - sorry

Thank you. Yes this is what I’ve been wondering. The clarity helps thank u.

No I have not had a p60. It’s been one of the things bothering me.

The other worker is a cleaner who does more hours about 20 I believe.

You should be able to sign up to the HMRC website which will give you all details of your tax and NI contributions over the past few years and this year that they are aware of .