Where do I start?

[MargoLeadbetter]

Am a bit worried, I registered as a childminder in July last year but up until this year I have only had 2 part time kids - one for ten hours a week, one for three hours a fortnight. Now business is picking up and I have one starting for 15 hours a week next week, and another starting soon for three days a week. Up until now I haven't done anything for tax/NI apart from save all my receipts for things I've bought, keep a cash book of incoming payments and give all parents receipts for payments made.

Should I have told someone last year that I was becoming self employed? It's ages since I've worked more than a few hours at a time and I've never been self employed before. If anyone can offer advice, I'd be very grateful!

[Zoomie]

You do need to register with HMRC as being self employed.

I think you need to do this within the first 1 or 3 months, so you may be fined :(.

Also you need to decide what you want to do with NI. At the moment is sounds like you earn too little, so may be able to apply for an exemption.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly with some useful links :cool:

[MargoLeadbetter]

thank you very much, it does look like I will be fined. I started earning from September last year but it was so little I never thought to register. :(

[MrAnchovy]

There is no formal grace period for registration now, you are supposed to register as soon as you start work - which in your case is September not July. The latest date for payment of Class 2 NI for September is either January 31 or July 31, neither of which have passed, so register now here (https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/shortforms/form/CWF1ST?dept-name=CWF1&sub-dept) and you should be fine.

Before you decide about claiming exemption from Class 2 NI, read this (http://www.mranchovy.com/information/class-2-national-insurance-small-earnings-exemption).