Side income, locked in place
Four basics before your first side job
A limit, a minimum rate, a tax set-aside and a record sheet: what to have in place on day one.
These four basics take an evening to set up and save many evenings later.
- A weekly limit. Your maximum side-work hours.
- A minimum rate. The lowest real hourly figure, after costs, that makes the work worth it.
- A tax set-aside. A percentage of each payment moved to a separate account. Ask an accountant what makes sense where you live.
- A record sheet. Date, client, amount, costs and set-aside for every job.
Check your main job
Some employment contracts have clauses about outside work, competition or confidentiality. Read yours, and ask HR if anything is unclear.
Educational content only. Not financial, tax or legal advice; talk to a qualified professional about your situation.