Tax & status
Tax and your status: the three numbers that matter in the UK
Side income from research tasks is taxable like any other trading income. The rules are simpler than the headlines — and one widely repeated figure is not law yet.
Trading allowance
£1,000
Tax-free trading income per tax year
Gross income, before any costs. At or under this, there is nothing to report and nothing to pay.
GOV.UK — tax-free allowances · 7 Sept 2026Not yet law
£3,000
Proposed reporting threshold — announced, not enacted
Announced March 2025 for the 2027/28 tax year at the earliest. Until Parliament passes it, the £1,000 rule applies in full. It changes how you report, not what you owe.
Pie Tax analysis, 2026 · 7 Sept 2026Register by
5 Oct
Deadline to register for Self Assessment
The 5 October after the tax year (ending 5 April) in which your gross trading income passed £1,000. The return itself is due 31 January.
GOV.UK — register for Self Assessment · 7 Sept 2026
What counts as trading income
- Payments for research studies, tests, interviews and surveys count, whether they arrive by bank transfer, PayPal or voucher.
- Add up everything from all platforms together — the £1,000 allowance is one pot, not one per platform.
- Count gross receipts before costs. A £1,100 year with £400 of costs is over the line even though the profit is £700.
If you go over £1,000
- Register for Self Assessment by 5 October after the tax year ends, then file by 31 January.
- On the return, deduct either your real costs or the flat £1,000 allowance — whichever is larger, never both.
- Tax is only due on the part above the allowance, at your marginal rate. Class 2 National Insurance depends on your profit level.
Keep three things
- A simple list of payments: date, platform, amount. A spreadsheet is fine.
- Screenshots or emails of each payout — platforms change and accounts close.
- Receipts for anything you buy for the work, in case real costs beat the £1,000 flat allowance.
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