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does a free lance have to pay taxes as professional?
Thread poster: sademo (X)
sademo (X)
sademo (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:05
English to Italian
+ ...
Mar 21, 2012

Hi all,

I am quite new to this domaine and I would like to know whether in Uk there is a kind of limit within you can earn as individual professional without paying any taxes.

Doeas any one know anything about that? It would be very helpful.

thanks in advance.

Sabrina.
 
Manuela Junghans
Manuela Junghans  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 05:05
Member (2004)
English to German
+ ...
Yes Mar 21, 2012

unfortunately freelance translators in the UK have to pay taxes.

I think you can earn about GBP 5.000-6.000 free of a tax per year. But on anything you earn more you have to pay taxes.

You will find all the relevant information on the HMRC website.

www.hmrc.gov.uk
 
Ty Kendall
Ty Kendall  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:05
Hebrew to English
Thresholds Mar 21, 2012

The VAT threshold is astronomical (about £73,000) so it's highly unlikely that you will ever have to pay this.

The Income tax threshold is:

£7,454 for 2011-12
**£8,105 for 2012-13
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/it.htm

So these are the amounts you can earn before you start paying income tax too.

Oh and then there's national insurance:... See more
The VAT threshold is astronomical (about £73,000) so it's highly unlikely that you will ever have to pay this.

The Income tax threshold is:

£7,454 for 2011-12
**£8,105 for 2012-13
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/it.htm

So these are the amounts you can earn before you start paying income tax too.

Oh and then there's national insurance: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/nic.htm

**It has appeared on the news today that this threshold is to be raised to £9,205 from next April:
http://citywire.co.uk/wealth-manager/budget-2012-income-tax-threshold-increased-to-9205/a576296

[Edited at 2012-03-21 16:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 
sademo (X)
sademo (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:05
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
thank you! Mar 21, 2012

Thank you very much to both of you.

I take the chance to raise another query!

As I am a starter and I would need to get more experience in translation, do you suggest any way I can do it? i was thinking about working as volunteer translator, do you know any organization or any other way I can do it?

thanks again!!

Sabrina.
 
Jennifer Forbes
Jennifer Forbes  Identity Verified
Local time: 04:05
French to English
+ ...
In memoriam
You bet we do! Mar 21, 2012

Yes. Even if your earnings (or other income) come to less than the tax-free threshold, you still have to send a "self-assessment tax form" to HMRC - Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. I believe that these days Her Majesty herself has to pay income tax - don't know whether she has to fill in a self-assessment form.
Jenny
 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 05:05
Spanish to English
+ ...
Cheers Mar 21, 2012

Ty Kendall wrote:

The VAT threshold is astronomical (about £73,000) so it's highly unlikely that you will ever have to pay this.

The Income tax threshold is:

£7,454 for 2011-12
**£8,105 for 2012-13
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/it.htm

So these are the amounts you can earn before you start paying income tax too.

Oh and then there's national insurance: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/nic.htm

**It has appeared on the news today that this threshold is to be raised to £9,205 from next April:
http://citywire.co.uk/wealth-manager/budget-2012-income-tax-threshold-increased-to-9205/a576296

[Edited at 2012-03-21 16:36 GMT]


Thanks a lot for the update and links, which will come in handy. People often ask me about this and I never know what to tell them.
 
Ty Kendall
Ty Kendall  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:05
Hebrew to English
Volunteer translation Mar 21, 2012

Personally, given your background and credentials listen in your "About me" and profile, I wouldn't bother with volunteer translation.

I can't say I've ever got a paying job because of the volunteer translations I do/used to do (I'm lagging with them).

You'd be better off spending the time and energy on marketing yourself for paying jobs (in my opinion).

However, if you are adamant that you want to do some volunteer translation, then look at NGOs and NPOs,... See more
Personally, given your background and credentials listen in your "About me" and profile, I wouldn't bother with volunteer translation.

I can't say I've ever got a paying job because of the volunteer translations I do/used to do (I'm lagging with them).

You'd be better off spending the time and energy on marketing yourself for paying jobs (in my opinion).

However, if you are adamant that you want to do some volunteer translation, then look at NGOs and NPOs, google around and look for causes you believe in or fields which interest you. ▲ Collapse
 
XXXphxxx (X)
XXXphxxx (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:05
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Volunteer translators Mar 21, 2012

Check out http://translatorswithoutborders.com. When I started 20 years ago I did a lot of voluntary translation work for Oxfam and Action Aid, no idea what their current situation is but I can't imagine they'd turn an offer down.
As a complete aside, I took a brief glance at your profile and your rates are low and I suspect nearly half of what they need to be. Don't sell yourself short.
 
sademo (X)
sademo (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:05
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
thanks Mar 22, 2012

Thank you Lisa!

Sabrina.
 
Armorel Young
Armorel Young  Identity Verified
Local time: 04:05
German to English
Helping yourself to get work Mar 22, 2012

Forgive me for straying away from the original question, but you are not doing yourself any favours by claiming to be "reliable and precise" and to have a background in proofreading when there are a number of proofreading errors in your profile (failure to capitalise names of languages, other odd capitalisation, "free lance" as two words rather than one, "translation in" rather than "translation into").

In a job where attention to detail is crucial, these little things mean that peo... See more
Forgive me for straying away from the original question, but you are not doing yourself any favours by claiming to be "reliable and precise" and to have a background in proofreading when there are a number of proofreading errors in your profile (failure to capitalise names of languages, other odd capitalisation, "free lance" as two words rather than one, "translation in" rather than "translation into").

In a job where attention to detail is crucial, these little things mean that people may pass over you in favour of someone else - your profile is your shop window, so it needs to be flawless! ▲ Collapse
 
sademo (X)
sademo (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:05
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Hi Armorel Mar 22, 2012

Thanks for your severe but correct advice. Work in progress!
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:05
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Yes Mar 23, 2012

Question: "does a freelancer have to pay taxes as a professional?" (I corrected the mistakes in your question).
Answer: "Yes. Everybody has to pay taxes."

[Edited at 2012-03-23 09:40 GMT]
 
Armorel Young
Armorel Young  Identity Verified
Local time: 04:05
German to English
As Tom says ... Mar 23, 2012

everybody pays tax on their income as soon as it is above the tax threshold. So if you work, you're going to pay income tax, regardless of whether you are employed or self-employed. In other words, you might just as well earn your living by translating as by any other means
 
Anne R
Anne R
Italy
Local time: 05:05
English to French
+ ...
Voluteer translation Mar 26, 2012

sademo wrote:

i was thinking about working as volunteer translator, do you know any organization or any other way I can do it?

thanks again!!

Sabrina.


Hello, you can do volunteer translation with Translastors without Borders, that is actually 'organised' by proz. Just look for it on google and you'll find all the information as to how to register with them. Translations are for the NGO sector, I do some when I have a bit of time, even thoutgh, u I also have to devote time to market myself with paying clients.

Good luck,

Anne
 
Alison Sparks (X)
Alison Sparks (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 05:05
French to English
+ ...
Sademo Mar 26, 2012

Friends of the Earth are looking for volunteers - it is posted in ProZ jobs. Try them.
 
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does a free lance have to pay taxes as professional?






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