Who to ask for advice on tricky question?

[Sandrino]

I'm an academic working in a UK university on a Tier 2 visa. I understand I can do supplementary PAYE work with certain restrictions (<20 hours p.w., same level, etc.). My question is about additional, job-related work--arguably a necessary part of my job-- that we are encouraged by our employer to do. The work is not PAYE. Examples are:

1. Write a book which will pay (modest) royalties (publisher is in Netherlands)
2. Work as an adviser for an NGO in another country.
3. Review grant proposals for a research funder in another country.

All of these are foreign income and I can pay tax to the UK through foreign income.

Is this a different case than self-employment? These are very much related to my job and academics are expected/encouraged to do these things. Any advice?

Thanks.

[Sandrino]

Hi, I'm posting again about additional work on a Tier 2 visa, but with a different focus.

Briefly, I'm an academic staff member at a UK university; as part of my normal duties I am encouraged/expected to do activities that could be construed to fall under self-employment; for example, writing a book, doing review work for research funders in other countries, serving as a journal editor. These are all normal activities for academic staff and often involve a modest stipend.

Each of these examples pays a small amount from a non-UK source (i.e., foreign income, with a total less than £3000 per year). I am happy to declare these to pay tax, but does that mean I'm declaring myself as self-employed?

UKVI rules about self-employment in Tier 2 are black and white, but I think my situation falls into a grey zone.

Who would I ask for advice? Immigration lawyer? Tax lawyer? UKVI? The University seems not to have the necessary expertise to answer this question

Another option is to have the fees paid into a bank account in my home country, and to pay tax there. But I find it difficult to believe that a Tier 2 academic in the UK would be prohibited by UKVI rules to, for example, write a book and take royalties, or serve on a research review panel in another country.

[hitsis]

You are over-worried. All the works you listed are normal tasks for a faculty member. It is nothing to do with self-employment.