certificates if it's a homer?

[davelx]

i didn't realise 'homer' was a scotland only phrase?

It's a term which is also used in Ireland.

It's used in England too, and has been for many years.

 

[ericmark]

The question is still very valid it's a big brother thing and although I could re-wire my mothers house and issue an Electrical Installation Certificate without a problem if it was Joe's house down the road would it lead to claims from the tax man?

It would clearly be a case of getting ones stories matching before the event and I can see why any electrician would be loathed to issue a bit of paper which proves he has done work which has not been declared. Minor works for a new socket is one thing can claim no payment involved it was a favour. Even a consumer unit change could be a favour but a complete re-wire it would be hard to convince an official it was a favour and as a result I can see why he would not want to issue the certificate.

I had a leaking roof and my very good friend fixed it for me. I also gave him a caravan it was not in payment but as to if any court would believe that is another question. But I did not have to send any details of the work to the council.

To use the meters and test the ELI and RCD tripping times is one thing. To write down the results and sign to say you did the work is another.

 

[JohnW2]

The question is still very valid it's a big brother thing and although I could re-wire my mothers house and issue an Electrical Installation Certificate without a problem if it was Joe's house down the road would it lead to claims from the tax man?

The tax man would obviously only have any claim if you had been paid for the work. If Joe were a close friend of yours, it's far from impossible that you would do substantial work for him without charge, so the issue would be in trying to convince the tax man that you hadn't been paid (in cash or kind). An EIC would only indicate that you had done the work, not that you'd been paid for doing it - but I agree that if there was not even an EIC (or any other paperwork), it's unlikely that anyone (including the taxman) would even discover that you had done the work, whether you were paid or not.

Kind Regards, John

 

[bernardgreen]

When we built equipment for private / personal use it was refered to as a "homer" or "home office project". The company did supply to government offices so a "home office project" sounded official.

I should say that in most cases "homers" were allowed provided they took second place to real work.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The question is still very valid it's a big brother thing and although I could re-wire my mothers house and issue an Electrical Installation Certificate without a problem if it was Joe's house down the road would it lead to claims from the tax man?

The tax man would obviously only have any claim if you had been paid for the work. If Joe were a close friend of yours, it's far from impossible that you would do substantial work for him without charge, so the issue would be in trying to convince the tax man that you hadn't been paid (in cash or kind). An EIC would only indicate that you had done the work, not that you'd been paid for doing it - but I agree that if there was not even an EIC (or any other paperwork), it's unlikely that anyone (including the taxman) would even discover that you had done the work, whether you were paid or not.

Does HMRC really trawl through LABC records looking for notifications of work which do not tie in with declared earnings? Or go door to door looking for ditto EICs?

Here's a radical idea - if you're worried about the taxman discovering earnings you've not declared, rather than compound your behaviour by not properly certifying and notifying the work, declare the earnings and pay the ******* tax you owe.

 

[ericmark]

Sounds easy but my wife declared she got tips. After a change of job it took 5 years to convince the tax man she no longer got tips. So it would be rather silly to inform a tax man over one job, one would then have to fight for years to convince him you no longer do homers of foreigners.

 

[JohnW2]

Does HMRC really trawl through LABC records looking for notifications of work which do not tie in with declared earnings?

I very much doubt it, as such. However, I've been a little surprised by some of the things I've learned about how many organisations/bodies are required to submit information to the HMRC about such things. There was, for example, a bit of a 'shake up' a good few years ago when HMRC (or whatever they were called at the time) looked at the records they had received indicating which junior hospital doctors had completed 'Cremation Forms' (for which they will have received a fee)!

Kind Regards, John