tax blog

A Tax Guide for Landlords with Holiday Lets

September 19, 2018/in Accountancy, Accountants, Battersea branch, Devon, Dulwich, Holiday lettings, Lettings, Lettings income, property, Tulse Hill /by Mark

Do you have a holiday cottage, flat or apartment that you rent out to holidaymakers? If so, our handy ‘Holiday lettings’ guide for landlords could be very useful to you — and it could save you money. It’s packed full of useful information and tax tips that will help you to make the most of your holiday property, at the same time as keeping on the right side of the tax man.

The Pros

We’ve written a section all about the tax breaks that apply to qualifying holiday lets. These include capital allowances for things you pay for when fitting out your holiday property, the tax treatment of expenses, the ability to pay pension contributions on your profits, several types of relief (some of which may affect your exposure to Capital Gains Tax) and small business rate relief.

The Cons

There’s also a section in the guide that covers some of the downsides to tax on holiday lettings. These include the need to get your VAT Registration status and charges right (where applicable) and also the tax treatment of any trading losses.

Qualifying Conditions

Lastly, there’s a section that outlines the qualifying conditions that apply if you want to treat your property as a holiday let rather than as an ordinary rental property. That’s important because different tax rules apply to each category and you could miss out on some excellent tax breaks if you don’t get it right. For example, the holiday rental property must be fully furnished and allow for self-catering holidays. Also, the property must be available for a particular number of days per year and be rented out in a particular way. It should not be occupied by the same tenant(s) for more than Read more

Letting a Room through Airbnb? HMRC Tracks your Income!

July 26, 2018/in 2016, 2017, 2018, Airbnb, Battersea branch, Dulwich, Land and property, Landlords, property, Rent a Room Scheme, Tulse Hill /by Mark

Back in late 2015, we forewarned that HMRC was planning to force on-line companies like Airbnb to share customer income data with them. That plan has come to fruition and HMRC is now receiving detailed information from Airbnb and other online providers. The data will tell HMRC about lettings income that may have been previously falling under their radar.

Airbnb is an on-line marketplace where people can rent out rooms, cottages, apartments and suchlike to those looking for short-term accommodation, city breaks, holidays or lower cost alternatives to hotels and overnight business stays.

We understand that various on-line providers, including Airbnb, are now exchanging information with HMRC. HMRC then uses their analytical tool “Connect” to track and monitor income from such sources. This powerful application was developed by BAE Systems and is the most advanced data gathering tool HMRC has at its disposal.

So, if you let property or a room on Airbnb, you can expect detailed information to be passed to the Revenue about your letting activities and the income it generates. While you may currently be able to earn up to £7,500* per year tax-free for furnished accommodation under the Government’s ‘Rent a Room Scheme‘, care needs to be taken to submit a tax return and pay tax on any income received once you have gone over that limit. Higher rate taxpayers also need to take care if their rental income pushes them into a higher tax bracket.

In order to qualify under the Rent a Room Scheme:

The room must be furnished;
The relief cannot be used if you let your home whilst living abroad;
The accommodation provided cannot be office space or business space.

Changes arriving in 2019:

HMRC recently held a consultation with relevant professionals and the public about whether the scheme should continue in its present form. Following this, they have announced that the scheme will be more restricted; landlords who do not live in their “main residence” at the same time as their tenants will probably no longer be able to claim “rent a room relief” from 6 April 2019.

Tax Help & Advice for Lettings Income

If you need our help handling your lettings tax needs, Taxfile is here to assist you. We’re tax experts and can guide you through the maze of rules and regulations concerning lettings, renting out accommodation, tax thresholds, knowing when it’s appropriate to work under the Rent a Room Scheme, whether you can claim expenses and so on. Book an appointment at your nearest Taxfile office: for Tulse Hill in London SE21 book an appointment on-line here; book here for Dulwich in SE21; for Battersea in SW8 book your appointment here or for Exeter and the South West, book your appointment here. We also have tax advisers who are available in other UK locations including Poole in Dorset, Carlisle, Yorkshire and Plymouth. Alternatively, simply call 0208 761 8000 or send us an email here and we’ll be happy to help to get you on the right track.

Learn more about our services to landlords and those earning an income from property lettings here.

* ^{Correct for tax years 2016-17 and 2017-18. For tax year 2015-16 the threshold was only £4,250. Also note that the current year’s threshold reduces to £3,750 if someone else, for example a joint owner, receives lettings income in the same property.}

Tax Credits Renewal Deadline Just Days Away – Don’t Miss Out!

July 20, 2018/in 2018, Accountancy, Accountants, Child Tax Credit, Tax credits, Working Tax Credit /by Mark

If you’re claiming tax credits and haven’t yet renewed, then you’d be wise to pay very close attention to the following …

Don’t Miss Out

Tax Credits are payments made to eligible people with children and/or very low incomes. Examples include Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits and the payments are made by the UK Government. However, the scheme rules are complex and part of that includes a strict renewal process, with a built-in deadline.

Renewal Deadline

Alarmingly, even if you are already claiming tax credits, there’s a high likelihood that your payments will cease completely unless you take proactive steps to renew your claim to them by 31st July* 2018 — that’s just a few days away at time of writing, so there is no time to lose.

* If your renewal pack states a different deadline, then that applies instead of 31st July in your case.

How to Renew Tax Credits

If you are claiming tax credits, you will be sent a renewal pack.

If your renewal pack has a red line across the first page, then you will need to send a reply.

Note that you can only renew your claim once you have received your renewal pack. Having received the pack, you should then ideally renew your tax credits online although see below for other options.

Automatic Renewal

If your form shows the code ‘TC 603 R’, you do not need to send a reply and your tax credits will be renewed automatically. However, you must make sure that you check the form carefully in case any of your details are incorrect. Should you fail to report any errors or to confirm any changes in your circumstances, your tax credits could stop or you could receive a fine. You can report errors and changes in circumstances using the Tax Credits Online Service.

Online Renewals

Renewing online is HMRC’s preferred method of renewal, via the Gov.UK website.

Telephone Renewals

To renew your claim to tax credits via telephone, simply contact the Tax Credit Helpline on 0345 300 3900 or textphone: 0345 300 3909.

Postal Renewals

You can also renew your tax credits claim by post. Send your claim to: Comben House, Farriers Way, Netherton L75 1AX. Make sure that your renewal claim arrives by 31 July and we also recommend sending by recorded delivery so you have some proof of the arrival date.

What Next?

You should hear back from HMRC within Read more

Undeclared Overseas Assets? Beware the ‘Requirement to Correct’ Deadline!

June 28, 2018/in Offshore assets, Overseas assets, Requirement to correct, RTC, Undeclared assets, Undeclared income /by Colin

What does this mean for me?

If you are a taxpayer with overseas assets which are undeclared as regards income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax, you have an obligation to sort things out by 30 September 2018.

People who ignore this requirement and whose income or assets subsequently come to light will face much, much higher penalties and sanctions after the deadline.

Why bother now?

The United Kingdom has signed up for information exchange with a whole host of other countries. The information it receives from them will be input into its intelligence system known as Connect. This increases the likelihood of undeclared sources coming to light.

What if I do nothing?

After the deadline date, if your undeclared sources of income or gains come to light, you will face potential penalties as follows:

A tax geared penalty of between 100% and 200% of the tax due;
A potential asset based penalty of up to 10% of the asset value where the relevant tax at stake is over £25,000 in any one tax year;
Adverse publicity from being publicly named as a tax cheat where the tax is over £25,000;
A further potential penalty of 50% of the standard penalty if the Revenue show that assets or funds have been moved in an attempt to avoid the requirement to correct.

If you have a reasonable excuse for failing to correct your tax position, such as failing health for example, then penalties may be reduced or not charged in exceptional circumstances.

Get Started:

If you think you might be affected or are in any doubt, we suggest you act now to avoid any problems before the deadline.

Call Taxfile on 0208 761 8000 for a no-obligation discussion if you want to put things right. Alternatively, book an appointment here. We have a wealth of experience in dealing with voluntary disclosures and negotiating settlements with HMRC, so can definitely help you. We offer tax advice and accountancy services from our offices in Tulse Hill, Dulwich and Battersea in South and South West London along with tax experts in Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Dorset, Devon, Yorkshire and Carlisle.

Second Property & Rented Property ‘Tax Trap’ for the Unwary

June 13, 2018/in 2020, Accountancy, Battersea branch, Capital gains tax, CGT, Dulwich, Lettings, London, London SW8, Property investment, property investor, South London, Tulse Hill /by Colin

Owners of second properties and let properties need to be aware that HMRC is planning to introduce new rules from 6 April 2020 to require payment of Capital Gains Tax much, much earlier! The window of payment will be reduced from 31 January following the year of the gain to a mere 30 days from the date of the sale.

Effectively, ‘in year’ reporting of the estimated gains – and payment of the tax – is mandatory under the new rules. Failure to report the gains and pay the tax will lead to penalties for landlords and second home owners.

You will only be able to offset losses accrued at the time of the disposal, so losses later in the year will not be available against the payment on account.

Summing Up:

If you make a capital gain in 2018/19 (before the new rules kick in) you will pay the capital gains tax on or by 31 January 2020.
For the sale of a house that is let, or a second property, with exchange of contracts occurring on, say, 15 April 2020 with completion happening on 15 May 2020, the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) has to be paid by 14 June 2020. This accelerates the payment of the tax to the Exchequer by 7 months.
So, perversely, the later year requires the Capital Gains Tax payment before the earlier year, as you can see above!

The other difficulty is knowing what rate to apply because a higher rate taxpayer has to pay 28% on a gain but a basic rate taxpayer has to pay tax at 18% up to the limit of the basic rate band that is unused. This is, of course, one situation where Taxfile can help to work out the tax implications for its customers. Tax calculations are what we do best and we’re here to help you!

Note that Scottish tax rates may vary.

HMRC is currently assessing feedback on their consultation, which closed on 6 June 2018.

If you believe this change of rules is wrong, one option is to write to your MP to complain.

Professional Help with Tax & Accountancy – for Landlords & More

For help with accountancy and tax for any property, lettings or any capital gains situation you may find yourself in, contact your nearest branch of Taxfile. We have London offices in Tulse Hill (SE21), Dulwich, Battersea (SW8) and another in the Exeter in the South West along with additional tax consultants in Carlisle in the North of England, Yorkshire in the North East, Poole/Dorset and Plymouth in the West Country. Call 0208 761 8000 for an introductory chat or appointment, contact us here or click the bold links for more information. We’ll be happy to help and to get your tax affairs in order.

Making the Most of your Tax Allowances for Small Trading?

June 8, 2018/in Accountancy, Accountants, Saving tax, Tax, Tax allowance, Tax calculation, tax experts, Trading Income Allowance /by Colin

Are you making the most of your tax allowances for small trading? If you have small earnings from self employment, then it may be advantageous to make a claim for Trading Income Allowance i.e. to claim a flat rate deduction of £1,000 for expenses instead of claiming the actual expenses incurred.

Example:

Christina has income of £2,360 and expenses for web hosting of £204, software of £103 and publishing costs of £430
(total expenses £737).

As her expenses are less than £1,000 she can claim £1,000 Trading Income Allowance in preference to claiming the actual expenses.

Her taxable profit therefore becomes £1,360 instead of £1,623. So, she pays less tax!

This is just one simple way in which Taxfile’s knowledge of the tax system can help its customers pay less tax in a totally acceptable way from HMRC’s perspective.

Contact your nearest Taxfile branch

Please do contact us for any accountancy work that you or your business(es) require. We’re tax experts and are also very well trusted by HMRC because we deal with them on a daily basis on behalf hundreds of clients. We have several UK branches including in Tulse Hill, Dulwich and Battersea in London, Exeter and Plymouth in the South West along with our tax specialists in Poole (Dorset), Carlisle in the North of England and Yorkshire in the North East. Call 0208 761 8000 or contact us here for more information — we’ll be happy to help you to get your tax affairs in order in the most tax-efficient way.

May Newsletter – New Battersea Branch, Easy CIS Tax Refunds, Avoid £10 Daily Fines & More

May 11, 2018/in Accountancy, Accountants, Accounts, Battersea branch, Bookkeeping, CIS, Construction Industry Scheme, Contractor, Devon, Income tax, Late return, Limited companies, Limited company, London, London SW8, National Insurance, New CIS, NI, Payroll, Rebate, Refund, Self-assessment, South West, Subcontractor, Tax, Tax advice, Tax advisers, Tax bill, tax experts, Tax overpayment, tax rebates, Tax refunds, Tax returns, Taxfile, Tulse Hill, VAT /by Mark

Our informative May e-Newsletter is now ready to view online. It includes exciting news of our new branch opening in Battersea along with important tax and accountancy-related news that might affect you. Here is a quick summary of the newsletter’s contents:

The first article announces the opening of our new Battersea Branch in London SW8. New and existing customers are welcome to pop in and say hello and to get expert help with your tax affairs and accountancy requirements. Learn more about the opening of the Battersea branch, and the core services on offer, here or click the big button below to read the newsletter.
If you work on one of the many Battersea construction sites in or around SW8, we can help you reclaim overpaid tax and much more … see the newsletter for more details – click the big button below.
If you’re a sub-contractor working in the construction industry scheme (‘CIS’), you’re almost certainly due a tax refund (learn why here). Taxfile are experts at getting tax rebates from HMRC, so come and see us and we’ll get you the maximum refund possible. Read the newsletter (click the big button below) to learn how we make your tax refund application fast and hassle-free.
We can help limited company contractors too! We’re tax and accountancy experts so we can help you register as a limited company or register for CIS if you’re not already set up, we’ll help you with the monthly tasks demanded of you by HMRC including accounts preparation, confirmation statements, corporation tax handling, CIS set-off rebate, National Insurance (NI), VAT, bookkeeping, payroll and much more. We’ll save you time and will make operating the Construction Industry Scheme a breeze. Click the pink newsletter button below for more details.
If you introduce a family member, friend or colleague to Taxfile, you will get a discount off your next tax return if they sign up as a new paying customer with us. Click the button for details.
Taxfile recently printed some brightly coloured postcards to promote our new Battersea office and our tax-related services. Simply get in contact if you’d like some of these postcards to hand out to colleagues. If you write your full name on the back and use it to refer a colleague, it might even save you money! Click the button for more details.
Our team are multi-lingual and always happy to help. If English is not your first language, let us know and we’ll try to match you to the most appropriate staff member.
If you, your friends, family or colleagues have not dealt with your old tax returns, HMRC will be adding £10 per day to the penalty from 1st May. That’s on top of the £100 fine that will have applied immediately after missing the original 31 January deadline. Let Taxfile get your tax records, tax returns and overdue tax all in order so you don’t have to pay any more in fines than you have already. Learn more here or contact your nearest branch for a consultation.
All Taxfile clients get free ‘Tax Enquiry Fee Protection Insurance‘ when they file their tax return through Taxfile by the statutory deadline. So – if you’re investigated by HMRC – our fees to sort it out are covered. Click the button for more details.

Read the Newsletter

Feel free to Read more

New Battersea Branch – Now Open in London SW8!

May 11, 2018/in Accountancy, Accountants, Battersea branch, CIS, Construction Industry Scheme, Contractor, Limited companies, Limited company, London, London SW8, Multilingual staff, New CIS, Rebate, Refund, Subcontractor, Tax, Tax advice, Tax advisers, Tax agents, tax rebates, Tax refunds, Tax returns, Taxfile /by Mark

Our new branch is now open in Battersea, London SW8. You’ll find it very convenient if you work nearby — we’re at Cloisters Business Centre, near Battersea Park Station, just off Battersea Park Road (A3205). You can park easily too – just pull into the business centre and you’ll find us opposite the church, on the ground floor with the brown door (unit 4). Come and see us there too if you’re an existing client and find Battersea more convenient than our Tulse Hill and Dulwich Village offices.

During April & May, the Battersea branch is open from 11am right through to 7pm from Monday to Thursday — so you don’t need to take a day off work to come and see us. On Fridays we’re open 11am to 3pm by appointment and Faiz will be a familiar face to many that day.

The new Battersea branch will especially suit construction workers in the building industry, which is very active in this location. Contractors who have set up as limited companies will find our CIS work, payroll and bookkeeping services very useful, affordable and convenient. Meanwhile, sub-contractors will like the fact that we’re experts at getting workers tax refunds and rebates, particularly if they’ve been working within the Construction Industry Scheme (‘CIS’). We claim thousands back from HMRC on their behalf every year.

Call 020 7821 9444 for a free 20 minute consultation at the Battersea branch, or 020 8761 8000 for Tulse Hill, Dulwich and all other branches.

Taxfile’s Battersea branch is at Studio 4, Cloisters House, Cloisters Business Centre, Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BG. Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-7pm (& Fridays 11am-3pm by appointment). Visit our new, stand-alone Battersea branch website for more details.

CIS Sub-contractors – Claim Your Tax Refund Now!

April 5, 2018/in 2018, Accountancy, CIS, Construction Industry Scheme, Discount, Income & Expenditure, Income tax, Multilingual staff, Personal allowance, Refund, South London, Subcontractor, Tax, Tax refunds, Tulse Hill /by Mark

It’s now time to start the process of claiming your tax refund if you are a sub-contractor working within the Construction Industry Scheme (‘CIS’). The good news is that refunds usually take around only 2 weeks through Taxfile if you come in to see us before the rush.

Why you’re due a tax refund

CIS construction workers like you are usually taxed at source before being paid, and this usually results in a tax overpayment. That’s because you were taxed on the first £11,500 of your income even though that part falls within your 2017-18 ‘Personal Allowance’, i.e. the part of your income that should be tax-free. In addition, by pre-paying the tax, you will not have offset any allowable expenses such as tools etc. To rectify this, Taxfile will help you get the figures right, offset all allowable expenses and maximise your tax refund! Most sub-contractors receive their tax rebate within just 3 to 4 weeks, through Taxfile.

What you need to do

Don’t delay – book an appointment with Taxfile today by calling 0208 761 8000 and we’ll sort it all out for you. We have staff who speak English, Polish, Pashto, Dari, Russian, French, and Dutch, should you need them on the day.

Choose our Tulse Hill (SE21) or Battersea office (SW8)

Tulse Hill Office: You can either bring your records and figures to our Tulse Hill office at 25 Thurlow Park Road, London SE21 8JP or, if it’s more convenient, choose our brand new Battersea office, which is at Studio 4, Cloisters House, Cloisters Business Centre, Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BG. Call 0208 761 8000 for an appointment at either office.

Outside of London? No problem – click here.

Office hours now include Saturday mornings and early evenings!

Our Tulse Hill office is open 6 days a week during April and offers Saturday morning appointments and early evening appointments on Mondays and Tuesdays if standard office hours do not suit you (please call for details).

Our Battersea office is open Monday to Thursday, 11am to 7pm.

Check List

Book an appointment by calling 0208 761 8000;
Bring in records of your invoices, whether they are self-billed or your own. If any are lost, try to bring copies.
Bring in all your CIS statements and receipts for the period 6th April 2017 to 5th April 2018;
Even if you don’t yet have your most recent CIS statement, we can still make a start;
Show us receipts for things you use for work including tools, equipment and plant hire – the law expects you to keep proof so don’t throw anything away;
Bring receipts for materials too, as some can be offset to maximise your tax refund;
If you had any equipment or tools stolen during the year, make sure you bring a crime reference number so we can obtain tax relief on those items;
Bring in bank statements — if any records for income or expenditure have been lost, bank statements can prove vital to fill in the gaps and give us a better view of your overall tax situation;
Lastly, if you have any payslips from any employment during the year, please do also bring in those.

Contact Taxfile to get your CIS tax refund fast!

Taxfile are experts at claiming back CIS tax refunds – we do over 500 of these per year and usually sub-contractors receive their refunds in just 3-4 weeks (often sooner for those who beat the rush and come in early). Taxfile are also very well trusted by HMRC so our sub-contractor CIS submissions and refund requests are rarely questioned. And currently we’re open 6 days a week at the Tulse Hill branch!

Come and see us. Our offices are ideally located if you’re in Tulse Hill, Battersea, Brixton, Dulwich, Elephant & Castle, Streatham, Camberwell, Peckham, West Norwood, Clapham, Stockwell, Herne Hill, Clapham, Pimlico, Vauxhall, Balham, South Lambeth, Earlsfield, Southfields, Wandsworth, Chelsea, Fulham & beyond.

Need a Saturday morning appointment? No problem – call us on 0208 761 8000 for latest staff availability.
Need a late afternoon/early evening appointment on a Monday or Tuesday? Again, no problem — call 0208 761 8000.
Live or work nearer Battersea? No problem – come to see us at our new Battersea office or visit the Battersea Taxfile website instead — call 0208 761 8000 for an appointment.

Working through a Limited Company?

Perhaps you a sub-contractor working through a limited company? If so, that’s also no problem! As well as CIS tax refunds, we can help limited companies with accounts preparation, confirmation statements, corporation tax computations, CIS set-off rebate, National Insurance (N.I.), VAT and much more.

Call Taxfile on 0208 761 8000. We look forward to seeing you soon! Read more

CIS tax refunds and returns - help now available across the UK

Help with CIS Tax Returns & Refunds Across the UK

February 5, 2018/in Accountancy, Accountants, CIS, Construction Industry Scheme, Contractor, Contractor Monthly Return, Subcontractor, Tax advice, Tax advisers, Tax agents /by Mark

As well as having 2 London based teams dealing with CIS returns and refunds, we’ve now introduced the same service for clients who are further afield in the UK. If you are a CIS contractor or sub-contractor we now have tax help available in the South West, the North East, the North West and, of course, our existing services in London and the South East of England.

More specifically, we can help you if you are:

in Cornwall/Devon (within a 30 mile radius of the Plymouth PL12 post code),
in Yorkshire in the North East (within a 50 mile radius of S72 post code area),
in the Carlisle region in the North of England,
in or around Exeter, Topsham, & Plymouth in Devon,
Of course, that’s on top of the existing bases in Tulse Hill and Dulwich in South London,
And our brand new tax & CIS refunds office in Battersea, London SW8.

So if you’re near any of these areas and need professional help with any aspect of accounting and tax, particularly for construction industry CIS tax returns and refunds, do get in touch.

In the first instance, call us on 0208 761 8000 to arrange an appointment with your nearest Taxfile representative, book an appointment online or use the contact form below to send us a message about your particular tax situation or accountancy needs. We’ll make paperwork and claiming any tax refund easy! Read more