De Factor visa advice

[TomTomTom]

Hello folks,

My girlfriend and I will be applying for a De Facto visa this autumn, and I just had a few enquiries.

First of all, we have a combined income a little over 20k, with my self-employment and her part time job, which she will have been in for over 6 months. I believe this is okay? Neither of us make the threshold when taken alone (13k and 7k.)

We will have been living together for 2 years. We have all the documents, rental agreements, letters for estate agents etc. to prove this.)

Our families have met; I will visit her home county this summer. We have many photographs.

We have various kinds of bank statements etc. proving that we have lived together.

We have had a joint bank account for a while now, will have had it for about 18 months by the time of the application. At present only I have paid into it, she is about to begin since she is working now.

I have paid all bills in my name and continue to; is this a problem? Is it worth starting to pay them all from the joint account/ is it too late?

Is there any other thing we can think about?
And is a solicitor to help us out worth the cost?

"How much do I love thee, let me count the ways, providing they meet the list of acceptable documents outlined in Appendix 34E"

Thanks guys

[MPH80]

I assume you mean an unmarried partner visa?

Can you clarify your girlfriend's current status?

[TomTomTom]

Yeah, unmarried partner visa.

She is currently here on a Post-Study Work visa to expire in July 2014.

We need to apply before March 2014 so I can use the 2012-13 Tax Year for my self-employment

[Casa]

In your certified accounts bear in mind that the qualifying level of income will be taken as taxable income i.e after your allowable expenses have been deducted.
Is your 13k self-employed earnings the amount you'll be paying tax on?

[TomTomTom]

Hello, thanks for the reply.

I work without expenses; the work I do requires nothing apart from using a pdf file from my home, so the entirety of it is not expenses.

So yeah, the 13k is all taxable