Self Assessment Income Tax Returns 2019/20 – COVID Edition

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To date there has been no change on the deadline to submit and pay your 2019/20 Self Assessment Income Tax return by 31st January 2021.

In preparation for our busiest period in the year we have been doing everything to ensure both our offices and business practices are ready to cope with the changes imposed on us by the Coronavirus pandemic.

At Taxfile we have been doing everything we can to make sure our offices comply by current pandemic safety practices.   We have fitted perspex screens between staff and clients, only allowing 2 clients in at a time, minimising each visit to a maximum of 15-minutes & socially distancing our staff members on site with a maximum of 3 in the main office at one time.

We would like to stress to all our existing & potential customers, we ARE OPEN if you need help in submitting your 2019/20 tax returns.  We currently offer a variety of ways to help you:

  1. Booking an appointment to see a tax agent face-to-face for 15 minutes – call us on 020 8761 8000 so we can arrange a time and date with you
  2. Offices are open for you to drop off paperwork to be processed and then sent through to a tax agent who can then discuss your return over the phone with you or face-to-face
  3. Email service where all electronic data can be sent directly through to the tax agents via emails, this is probably the easiest, quickest, and safest way to proceed.  You can directly send the agents your financial data through on email or using services such as dropbox or google sheets.  They can then calculate your return and liaise with you via phone & email.
  4. You can book an online ‘virtual’ meeting HERE

Regardless of which way or combination of ways suits your needs, know that we are here for you till the deadline date of 31/01/2021 but urge you to contact us sooner than later as we are restricted by the number of people we can physically see & data we can work through during these uncertain times.

We are also urging our clients to pay via online banking for their Taxfile invoices, details found on the bottom of our invoice, reducing the need to come in or phone in to pay a bill as we need to reduce the number of people in the office for health and safety & therefore reducing our resources available.  We are still accepting all payment forms but if clients CAN pay via online banking, then we are encouraging them to do so.

If you have not submitted your 2019/20 tax return (that in most cases will run from 6th April 2019 through to 5th April 2020), then now is the time to get all your financial data together, and decide which of the four methods outlined above will be most convenient for you.  Get in touch now & don’t leave it till the last minute.  This year is like no other!

Bounce Back Loan Scheme Deadline Extended

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[UPDATED FEBRUARY 2021] The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) was an initiative struck up between the Government and banks to enable small businesses to access finances more quickly through the pandemic.  It allowed businesses to have access to 25% of their 2018/19 turnover, with a minimum loan of £2,000 and a maximum amount of £50,000.  The loan would need to be repaid within 6 years at a reduced interest rate of 2.5% and the Government would pay the first 12-months of the interest on your behalf.

The BBLS became a survival blood for many small businesses and initially the banks had set the cut-off date for applications to 30th November 2020 after the government had initially stated the deadline as 4th November 2020.

Now the government have asked the banks to extend the date even further, so now small businesses have until 31st March 2021 to apply for the BBLS.

To apply you can have  a look HERE for all available providers of the scheme.  All you need to do, is to go online and apply from your bank provider (if they are listed).  If you do not have a business bank account you will more than likely need a copy of your 2018/19 tax return to upload for them.

As our customer, if you require any assistance applying for the BBLS then please call us on 020 8761 8000.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Extended

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[UPDATED FEBRUARY 2021] The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is being extended until 30 April 2021.

As a result of the ongoing pandemic, the Government’s response has been to extend the furlough scheme at the original 80% level.  For now we know this will extend through to the end of April 2021.

From 1st November 2020 you can claim 80% of an employee’s usual salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. You can claim for employees who were employed on 30th October 2020, as long as you have made a PAYE RTI submission to HMRC between the 20th March 2020 and 30th October 2020, notifying a payment of earnings for that employee. You do not need to have previously claimed for an employee before the 30 October 2020 to claim for periods from 1 November 2020.

There is no maximum number of employees you can claim for from 1st November 2020.

All claims for periods from 1st July 2020 through to 31st October 2020 must be submitted by no later than 30th November 2020.

Claims from 1st November 2020 must be submitted by 11.59pm 14-calendar days after the month you’re claiming for. If this time falls on the weekend or a bank holiday then claims should be submitted on the next working day.

Claim for furlough days in Claim must be submitted by
November 2020 14 December 2020
December 2020 14 January 2021
January 2021 15 February 2021
February 2021 15 March 2021
March 2021 14 April 2021
April 2021 14 May 2021

At Taxfile, we can calculate furlough payments for your staff and ensure that all your submissions are done on time.  If you need to outsource the payroll for your business, then you can call us on 020 8761 8000.

SEISS Grant – Round 3

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Instead of constantly updating our original SEISS grant post we decided to create a new one as over the last month the government has chopped and changed the requirements, the dates, & the amount available due to the everchanging situation around the COVID-19 pandemic.

The points that need to be highlighted for the third extension of the SEISS grant are:

  • The prerequisite is the same as the previous two SEISS grants (changing from a prerequisite to be working if applying).
  • The amount is 80% for 3-months determined from your average trading profits like in the 1st SEISS grant application (changing from 20%, then 40%, then 80% for November & 40% for December and January)
  • Applications will open from 30/11 and will most probably follow suit of the two other applications, in that using your UTR & NI number you will then be given a date/time you can apply (changing from applications opening on 14/12/20).

If you need any help determining your application date or with the application then please call us on or after 30/11 on 020 8761 8000.

As a Director do I need to file a Self Assessment Income Tax Return?

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HMRC now states that where all of a director’s income is taxed at source and there is no other sources of income, then there is no need for them to register for self-assessment and to file a return.

If as a director you have been requested to submit a self assessment tax return, but have no other taxable income to report, then you can request for that notice to file to be withdrawn.

However if you meet any one of these following conditions then you must submit a tax return to HMRC:

  • You are repaying a Student Loan (unless already accounted for in your PAYE)
  • You receive Child or Bereavement Benefit (unless already accounted for in your PAYE)
  • Receiving Interest from Shares, Funds, & other investments
  • Receiving Foreign Income
  • Receiving Rental/Lettings Income
  • Receiving Dividends

The dates are independent of your companies accounting period and run from; 06/04/XX through to 05/04/XY, with the submission and monies that are owed sent through to HMRC by no later than 31/01/XZ.

It is wise not to leave filing your self assessment tax return till the last minute & at Taxfile we can help you get your figures correct so you only pay the correct amount of tax that you have to.  If we do your company accounts, then make sure we get any information about other sources of income in ample time.

Time is now running low, so call us on 020 8761 8000 if you need to get your Self Assessment Income Tax return compiled, computed, and submitted before the 31/01/2021 deadline.

Act NOW & get 5% Off 2019-20 Self-Assessment Tax Return Fees

Act NOW & get 5% Off 2019-20 Self-Assessment Tax Return Fees

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Act NOW & get 5% Off 2019-20 Self-Assessment Tax Return Fees

Have you contacted us about your 2019-20 Self Assessment tax return yet?

If not, please get in touch early this month (November). You’ll save 5% or more¹ by acting right away. You’ll also avoid the coming bottleneck if you act now. So, please get in touch:

We’ll then confirm the next steps.

1. If you supply everything in time for us to submit your tax return by 30 November 2020, you’ll save 5% off our standard tax return fees. You’ll save even more compared to the higher prices that we’ll need to impose closer to the self-assessment deadline. Our prices will also increase very soon to cover weekend working and overtime to cater for those who leave it to the last minute. Please bear in mind that the pandemic lock-down will make things even harder than usual, so please act now and plan ahead.

2. Worried about COVID? There’s no need! We can do ‘virtual’ meetings instead, for example by telephone, Zoom, Teams, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, Skype, Facetime or whatever suits you best. So, we don’t even need to meet face-to-face. Just give us a call on 020 8761 8000 to discuss your preferences. We’re here to help!

Taxfile are accountants and tax advisors in South London and the South West, with offices in Tulse Hill, Dulwich, Battersea & Devon.