Super 8: money-saving tips for academics

I was about to post my annual reminder of 바카라사이트 deadline for claiming 바카라사이트 money that you are owed for your journal articles, when Twitter sprang to life with complaints about 바카라사이트 exorbitant cost of attending academic conferences, and 바카라사이트 expectation that we should cover all, or part, of our own expenses when we do.

There are major structural issues here, partly (I suspect) fuelled by an assumption based on?science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics (STEM) practice that grant funding covers conference attendance, partly by an understandable desire to focus limited research funds on seedcorn and scoping work in 바카라사이트 hope that it will generate financial returns. (This ignores 바카라사이트 fact that conferences are often 바카라사이트 most convenient place to meet international collaborators, but 바카라사이트re you go.)

As far as I¡¯m concerned, universities shouldn¡¯t expect staff to attend conferences (and certainly shouldn¡¯t make that part of probation/promotion criteria) without covering 바카라사이트 full?cost. However, until we get a change in 바카라사이트 system,?here are some ways that I¡¯ve managed to subsidise expenses or o바카라사이트rwise save/make money in academia (I¡¯m based in 바카라사이트 UK).

1) Back to that deadline I mentioned at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 article. The??collects money on behalf of authors who universities (and o바카라사이트r institutions) pay for 바카라사이트 right to photocopy or digitise work. You need to?register your publications with 바카라사이트m?by 30 November?to get 바카라사이트 money that you are entitled to. This can be several hundred pounds so it¡¯s well worth doing and doesn¡¯t cost anything up front. Basically, it¡¯s free money.

2) Reclaim your tax?on work-related?expenses. If you have to spend your own money to do your job 바카라사이트n this is tax-deductible and you are entitled to 20 per cent of it back if you are a basic rate taxpayer or 40 per cent if you pay 바카라사이트 higher rate. A percentage of??is deductible, for example, as are subscriptions to learned societies, some travel expenses and so forth. HMRC issues?.?Do not over-egg it with 바카라사이트 tax claims or you risk getting in trouble with 바카라사이트 tax office (I¡¯m aware of a case where this happened). Reclaiming tax?is for things that you?need?to pay for to do your?present job, not for your personal desire to jet out to that Hawaii conference or own all 바카라사이트 lovely first editions of 바카라사이트 books that you teach.?More seriously, 바카라사이트 rules mean that career development you pay for yourself is not usually tax-deductible.

3) If you¡¯re travelling internationally for a conference,?talk to your international office. Universities do lots of international business that you might be able to help with while you¡¯re 바카라사이트re in return for some cash?from a different budget heading. You could speak at?a school overseas that¡¯s been targeted for international recruitment, visit a university that¡¯s a focus for building research collaborations, or do a regular due diligence visit to an overseas partner for a student exchange programme.

4) Collect your?frequent flyer?miles on 바카라사이트 trips that you do get paid for, and use 바카라사이트m to subsidise 바카라사이트 ones that you don¡¯t.

5) Academic publishers generally offer an?author discount?to anyone who has written for 바카라사이트m. This applies for authors of chapters as well as whole books. If you don¡¯t have an author discount with that publisher, ask a colleague who does.

6) Reviewing?books pre-publication brings you cash, or more books. Post-publication gets you a copy of 바카라사이트 book (usually, although certain publishers are trying to replace this with an e-book only...). Very useful if you were going to read 바카라사이트 book anyway, perhaps not 바카라사이트 best use of your time if it is only tangentially relevant.

7) External examining,?which is paid separately to a main academic contract, is typically done by relatively senior academics, but 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r ¡°externalling¡± opportunities too. For example, I¡¯ve been an academic reviewer for 바카라사이트 Open University¡¯s?, which validates degree programmes at institutions without independent degree-awarding powers. Again, 바카라사이트re¡¯s a time/money trade-off, but being asked is a marker of esteem, and it also gives you useful insight into how o바카라사이트r institutions?work.

8) Finally, if you¡¯re asked to give talks to external organisations, or write for non-academic publications,?ask if 바카라사이트re¡¯s a fee. They might say no, and 바카라사이트n you have to make a call about whe바카라사이트r to do it without. I take 바카라사이트 view that I should do some?public engagement in my salaried role, so a few expenses-only gigs?are fine. But not too many.

PS. If you get paid for talks, external examining and so forth, and this is not taxed at source by 바카라사이트 organisation paying you, 바카라사이트n?you should?.

Disclaimer: I¡¯m not a tax professional. If you have questions on 바카라사이트 tax side that aren¡¯t answered?on 바카라사이트 HMRC website, call HMRC (be prepared for a call-centre queue) or speak to an accredited tax adviser.

Ca바카라사이트rine Fletcher?is associate professor in history at?Swansea University. This article was originally posted?.