Not being rude here and I don't mean to offend but why couldn't he speak to the tax office they are more helpful nowadays and it's free!!!
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Okay makes sense now.
Best place to start is www.hmrc.gov.uk and look under self employed section. Depends if you are working alone or with someone else as you could enter it as a partnership if two of you rather than a limited company.
If you have another job it becomes a little more complicated as you end up on PAYE and need to complete a tax return form to show all your income including your self employed.
If you are taking less than about £5k if memory serves correct (can't remember the exact figure) you need to complete a form that opts you out of class 4 NI due to small income.
After doing all of that the HMRC will make a complete screw up of it as their super computer understands tax even less than we do and in about ten years time it will send you a bill for a sqillion pounds even though they owe you £14.25.
Get an accountant its easier.
There's no reason he couldn't, and it's a good idea, but: the Tax office wouldn't be working for him, and he's unlikely to be able to have a face to face chat.
A chat with an accountant may not cost much, especially if he knows someone who has one. The tax office have no desire to minimise tax liability. Accountants have.
Either option would be a good idea for the lad.
( No offence taken, by the way. It's a forum. Differing points of view are put forward, that's what happens. )
IMO (won't go down well on here) but I don't see why Matt needs an account yet.
How many bookings are you doing a month? I remember you saying sometimes..none?
You charge £60. Most of it gets put back into the cancer charities you support.
Is paying £100+ for an accountant the BEST advice we can give him? Perhaps your mum could phone up the Inland Revenue. I remember speaking to them when I first started and I came under the "interest/hobby" umbrella which meant I didn't need to pay tax OR inform them.
However, if you start earning more and step out of the "interest/hobby" umbrella then you have to let them know (whether you're eligible for tax or not)