Based on a pilot study, the article analyzes the attitude towards the formalization of the informally self-employed. The research was conducted in St. Petersburg using the semi-structured interview method. The result of the study was the identification of an ambiguous attitude towards the formalization of the informally self-employed, which cannot be regarded as a homogeneous group. Different groups of self-employed have different attitudes towards the formalization of their activities, from consent to be formalized in the near future to complete rejection of such formalization.