I am an experienced Nanny working many years as an employee for various families one at a time. I am now in the position where I coudl take work from several families (some on a regular weekly basis) and some emergency or temporay cover and even some babysitting. I've been approach by agencies running creches or short time (2-weeks to 3month temporary roles)and they seem to encourage you to take cash in hand, but I'd like to be in a position of declaring my own taxes. I can't see it would work having three different familes all being an employer and then still doing work privately. More than one job means you usually pay emergency tax on additional jobs(how woudl taht work if you have provate families employing you?) I'd wish to be able to declare all my earnings up front and pay my own taxes.
It would make sense to be self-employed and work when I chose to and invoice the families. My BIL is as accountant and says if I have more than one client I fit criteria to register as self employed, even if some have fixed hours. I know many will reply saying it's not possible, but ideally I'd like to hear from anyone who HAS worked as a self-employed Nanny (not a childminder in their own) taking regular and adhoc work and caring for children in their in own homes and at creches etc.