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Beaters wages - has something changed.


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Just putting out feelers. Was told one of the big shoots I'm involved with that next season they will be paying £37.50 (currently £30 gross) but they will be deducting £7.50 tax!! This was following consultation with their accountant. Noticed in ST this week a Scottish estate seem to have a similar arrangement.

 

Has anything changed? This seems to be riddled with problems ie for those retired or at school below the tax allowance figure no tax should be deducted or they will have to claim it back or for those on 40% tax they will have to pay more. I suspect the 'living wage' may have prompted this increase but has the HMRC RTI process failed and we are back to a more general and sensible one size fits all arrangement?

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Why should u not get 40 quid a day??? it's not a lot of money for a full day esp when u consider running a 4x4 or a keeping a few dogs all year.

 

If a bricky/fencer or any other boss needed a load of extra seasonal work u coukld not pay boys a free feed and can of beer, never mind20 or 30 quid. The shoots cannot survive without the beaters and now many are commercial enterprises, they should be paying commercial rates, the free meal/beer is a throw back to time when most shoots where ran by the lairds and beaters would already be estate employees (in house, fencers, stable boys or farm workers)

 

Why should people take days of work and work for buttons to subsidise someones shooting??

 

There is a big estate near me where beaters get 30 home and 7.50 taken off, estate had to employ them this year for 1st time. But its just been stung as it shot so many days had to pay the regulars 1 weeks holiday pay :) the regulars just got an unexpected cheque for £210 :good:

Think i'm right in saying law not changed just going to be enforced more, when i used to go years ago had to sign in a book name and address think i was the only person not named after a disney character and they all lived next door to each other :whistling:

Not sure how it works if not due tax, possibly u speak to head keeper? They had to do it that way as none of their beaters would declare it (a lot were on the brew too)

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Bloody hell, I beat about 3 or 4 days a week for not a lot. £40 per day and would have to put it through as extra earnings with my accountant. I can't believe many shoots can pay that sort of money.

 

Whenever I've done pheasant days on estates that have grouse moors the money is the same as grouse. It's been stuck at £45 a day for at least the last 5 years & I assume it's due a rise this season. Picking up money is about double but you do need a pack of dogs, you don't get to pick up with just one or two dogs. Everywhere has been on the books for the last few season with estates also paying the 20% basic tax (£9 for the £45 paid), you can claim the tax back through expenses if you're paid to work dogs.

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Don't you find it strange that shoots want to stop TAX of beaters but Keepers Tips seam to be exempt :mellow:

 

The difference is shoots pay the beaters money/wages so are laible, keepers tips area gift and not paid by shoot or any other 1 person so no one is laible or can prove wot was/was not given

I'd doubt all guns tips as well as u think miffy, obviously will depend on the size of the day/bag thou.

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Don't you find it strange that shoots want to stop TAX of beaters but Keepers Tips seam to be exempt :mellow:

 

Shoots don't want to stop tax from beaters pay, but most shoots are forced to under the RTI rules. Keepers tips are exempt from PAYE, but are still taxable and should be declared by the keeper

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I'm not doubting it, never done it as not many grouse moors down this way. But even £40 for a pheasant shoot is a lot more than anyone gets that I know of down this way.

Either grouse or pheasant you want more the £35 a day as this is sometimes harder than a full time job as if you worked for a company you would be on £50 plus a day then take your tax off.

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Either grouse or pheasant you want more the £35 a day as this is sometimes harder than a full time job as if you worked for a company you would be on £50 plus a day then take your tax off.

I would love £35 pound per day, but I beat 3 or 4 days a week at a couple of shoots and get nowhere £35 per day. To be honest a do one shoot and get lunch and no money at all just for the fun and to work my dogs.

 

I do however get beaters days. One big shoot I had 2 beaters days at, cocks only. It's a high bird shoot that people pay thousands for a day there, we shot just under 500 birds over the 2 days and at about £40 per bird I normally Would not pay for days there.

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I'm persuming it is the same shoot mentioned which started of the thread but they usually have 3/4 beaters days as well as paying they're beaters 35 minus tax.

 

It all depends on the type of shoot and how much u enjoy it and working ur dogs there, but u are subsidising there shooting by working for free.

 

There is plenty of low paid/young agri workers or PT keepers that could make a decent wage if shoots paid a fair price for a days work.

Was speaking to a SE shepherd a few years ago, he sometimes struggles for work throu mid winter but refused to go beating and would rather stay at home for the pitance they pay (£30) as if he goes it ties his days up in advance so he can't go out shepherding if he gets the call the nite before.

 

Paying a fair wage would help these local rural areas massively.

 

If beaters are now effectively employed now does minimum wage stuff not start to apply? Think wage has just went up to 7 quid an hour so even 35 quid only pays for 5 hours work, most shoots have a longer day than that.

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Scotslad you are dead right.

 

Paying a fair wage is a must when estates are charging guns £40 per bird.

 

How many estates have an account at their local vets ? And how many would pay for their beaters dogs vet bills for injury / ill health incurred during a days beating ???

 

The good estates will always get beaters the others will always struggle.

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Whenever I've done pheasant days on estates that have grouse moors the money is the same as grouse. It's been stuck at £45 a day for at least the last 5 years & I assume it's due a rise this season. Picking up money is about double but you do need a pack of dogs, you don't get to pick up with just one or two dogs. Everywhere has been on the books for the last few season with estates also paying the 20% basic tax (£9 for the £45 paid), you can claim the tax back through expenses if you're paid to work dogs.

This, where I pick up the estate pays the tax etc, we however only get £45 quid for picking up, think the beaters are 35/40 ish.

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Interesting debate albeit moving well away from my original intention. Having said this it think we must take into account how you are treated by the shoot. A good beaters day always 'sweetens the pill' and roost shooting too is, for me at least, a nice add-on plus do you get lunch? I've 'brushed' (we dont beat here in Norfolk) on a few farm shoots where, even today, no keepers day, no lunch (you might get a cup of tea), no pop at the pigeons and transport of very very poor quality. They still get enough support to carry on shooting basically because we love it but you are right to point out when they are selling days at £30 per bird and we get £25 cash and no perks it is rather taking the Michael.

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