CIS sub-contractor refunds - a service from Taxfile, Tulse Hill, South London

CIS Sub-contractors – Claim Your Tax Refund Now!

CIS sub-contractor refunds - a service from Taxfile, Tulse Hill, South London

[April 2025]: 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’). Refunds are usually fast through Taxfile. What’s more, we’ve reduced our prices this year for CIS customers earning less than £40k (click here for details).

What you need to do

Don’t delay – book an appointment with Taxfile today or call 0208 761 8000 and we’ll sort it all out for you. We have staff who speak English, Polish, Pashto, Dari, Russian, Malayalam, and Dutch, should you need them on the day. Our Tulse Hill office is at 25 Thurlow Park Road, London SE21 8JP. Call 0208 761 8000 or book an appointment — the first 20 minutes is free! Alternatively, you can have a ‘virtual’ appointment with us on Zoom, Teams, Google Hangouts, Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp or whatever you prefer.

We’re open from Monday to Saturday in April & May including early evenings on Mon/Tues

Our Tulse Hill office is open 6 days a week during April & May and offers Saturday morning appointments plus early evening appointments on Mondays and Tuesdays if standard office hours do not suit you (please see the footer of this website for details or simply call us).

Check List

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Late with your tax return and tax payment? What happens now?

Missed the Tax Return Deadline? What Happens Now?

Missed the Tax Return Deadline? What Happens Now?

[Updated February 2025]: If you missed the 31 January deadline to submit your self-assessment tax return, you are now into the penalty stage. HMRC applies an automatic £100 penalty to those who are anywhere from 1 day to 3 months late. Further penalties are then added if you take even longer to comply. It’s even worse if you haven’t paid the tax owed to HMRC by 31 January because you’ll then owe interest on that too.

Our Advice if You’re Late

If you are late submitting your tax return and/or paying the tax owed, our advice is to:

  1. submit your tax return without delay;
  2. pay as much tax as you can as soon as possible*.
    By doing both, you’ll minimise the penalty and interest payable to HMRC.

* Payment of any historic tax for 2023/24 and prior years is best dealt with by the last day of February at the latest. Any amount that remains due for 2023/24 is considered late thereafter and will attract an automatic HMRC charge of 5%.

What if you Cannot Pay?

If you cannot pay (or have tax arrears) it’s important that you demonstrate to HMRC that you’re paying as much as you can — and as regularly as possible. The good news is that HMRC has a quick and easy facility for exactly this purpose. By calling 0300 200 3402, you can pay using a debit card. It takes only minutes and doesn’t require any explanation — give it a try!

You will need your tax reference and, after making a payment, will be given a payment reference.

Possible Excuses for Late Tax Returns

What are your options if there were genuine reasons, beyond your control, that stopped you being able to submit your tax return on time? Well, if you “took reasonable care to meet” a deadline and there was a genuine reason why you were late, you have the option to appeal. However, your circumstances must fit HMRC’s eligibility criteria. Let’s take a look at those below.

Circumstances that are taken into account by HMRC when considering appeals include:

  • if a close relative or partner died shortly before the tax return or payment deadline;
  • if you had to stay in hospital unexpectedly;
  • if you had a life-threatening or serious illness;
  • if your computer or software failed at the time you were preparing your online return;
  • if HMRC’s online services were disrupted;
  • if you were prevented from filing your return or paying your tax because of a fire, flood or theft;
  • if there were unexpected postal delays;
  • if you have a disability of mental illness that affected the delay;
  • if you misunderstood your legal obligation, or were unaware of it;
  • if someone you’d appointed for the task (e.g. accountant or tax adviser) failed in their obligation on your behalf;
  • and occasionally other reasons which, if genuine, HMRC may deem to be relevant (for example, some Covid-related circumstances).

Excuses that aren’t usually accepted by HMRC include:

  • you didn’t receive a reminder from HMRC;
  • you found HMRC’s online system too difficult to use;
  • your cheque bounced or payment failed due to you having insufficient funds;
  • you made an error on your return.

Appealing Against an HMRC Penalty

You have the right to appeal against HMRC’s decision to issue you a penalty so long as it’s appealed soon enough after the penalty notice. That includes penalties for late tax returns or payments. Taxfile can help advise you about all of that (see below).

Taxfile are Here to Help

If your tax return is late, you owe HMRC tax, or are owed a refund by them, come and see us as soon as possible. Taxfile are accountants and tax advisors in Tulse Hill, South London. We’ll help to sort it all out for you with the minimum of fuss, at a competitive price. Come in as early in the month as you can and we’ll help you to sort things out — for the best possible outcome. We know the rules and liaise with HMRC every single day on behalf of our clients. So, if we can help convince HMRC to reduce or completely remove any penalty you may be facing, we will do so, so long as your circumstances fit the relevant HMRC criteria. You can only appeal within 30 days of the date of any penalty notice you receive, so the earlier you contact us the better – give us a call on 020 8761 8000 or fill in this short form and we’ll take it from there. Alternatively, book an appointment with one of our expert tax advisors to chat things over, without obligation. Payment plans called ‘Time to Pay’ arrangements may also be available for eligible people who cannot to afford to pay their tax in one lump sum — Taxfile would be happy to tell you more.

020 8761 8000 Book Appointment Get Started Here
Christmas & New Year Opening Times at Taxfile

Christmas & New Year Opening Times at Taxfile

Christmas & New Year Opening Times at Taxfile

Season’s greetings to all our clients and readers and sincere thanks to all of you who have kept us busy with work during 2021 — we really appreciate it.

Here’s a quick reminder of our opening times during the Christmas period and into the New Year. This is for our Tulse Hill office (Thurlow Park Road) and our Dulwich office (Turney Road) except where otherwise indicated.

  • Friday 24 December 2021 (Christmas Eve): we’re open from 9am until 3pm (Tulse Hill office only).
  • Saturday 25 December 2021 (Christmas Day): closed.
  • Sunday 26 December 2021 (Boxing Day): closed.
  • Monday 27 December 2021 (a public holiday): closed.
  • Tuesday 28 December 2021 (a public holiday): closed.
  • Wednesday 29 December 2021: open 9am until 5pm.
  • Thursday 30 December 2021: open 9am until 5pm.
  • Friday 31 December 2021: open 9am until 3pm (Tulse Hill office only).
  • Saturday 1 January 2022 (New Year’s Day): closed.
  • Sunday 2 January 2022: closed.
  • Monday 3 January 2022 (a public holiday): closed.
  • Tuesday 4 January 2022: we re-open from 9am until 6pm.
  • Wednesday 5 January 2022: open as usual, 9am until 5pm.
  • Thursday 6 January 2022: open as usual, 9am until 5pm.
  • Friday 7 January 2022: open as usual, 9am until 3pm (Tulse Hill office only).
  • Saturday 8 January 2022: open 9am until 1pm by appointment (Tulse Hill office only).
  • Sunday 9 January 2022: closed.
  • From week commencing Monday 10 January: open as usual (see footer).

Have You Contacted Taxfile About Your Tax Return Yet?

If you need a self-assessment tax return or any other kind of return and haven’t yet arranged it with us, please arrange an appointment urgently. January becomes frantically busy in the accounting world, so please make the most of the remaining December appointments while they’re still available — thank you. Appointments are by telephone, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, in person (under safety protocols) … Read more

How we harness technology at Taxfile in Tulse Hill, Dulwich, Devon & Cornwall

Harnessing Technology at Taxfile

How we harness technology at Taxfile in Tulse Hill & Dulwich, South East London

The rapid pace of technological change has caused some of the biggest shifts in how we view and process our tax returns. At Taxfile, we’re constantly striving to use technology as effectively as possible to aid us in collecting, analysing, and collaborating when working on your personal data.

Over the pandemic, we’ve had to place our reliance even further on technology to maintain our standards, with regular meetings online. We’re constantly improving the efficiency of our work pipeline and, with the ability to pull figures directly from online bank statements, we can ensure precision in the numbers we present you with. For the last two years, we’ve implemented cloud technology as both a collaborative tool between our senior and junior staff and as storage for various databases used to track everything from employee working hours to the status of your tax return. We’re expanding further on this concept in collaboration with Pure Technology by merging our existing cloud systems with our current remote work solution to form one, all-encompassing workspace environment. Hosting it in the Microsoft Cloud ensures that, with the help of our office staff, your paperwork and bookings can be sent to and viewed by your tax agent as soon as possible. This and a variety of other endeavours are examples of our ambitions to be at the forefront of innovations, and constant review of our policies ensures we remain ahead, or on track, to meet the standards set by Making Tax Digital (MTD) for its 2023 launch.

Contact South London’s Favourite Accountant

Taxfile can help you with all your tax or accountancy requirements. We offer Read more

PAYE, 2021/22 Tax Thresholds, Employment Allowance & P800s

PAYE, 2021/22 Tax Thresholds, Employment Allowance & P800s

PAYE, 2021/22 Tax Thresholds, Employment Allowance & P800s

My name is Daniel and I have been a part of the Taxfile family since 2007. It started as a part-time job doing bookkeeping, but as time went on, I developed new abilities and a deeper understanding of the tax world. PAYE, VAT, and Company Register are now my areas of expertise.

I understand how complicated the tax world is, so here are a few PAYE things to consider:

Understanding the tax thresholds for 2021-2022

PAYE is calculated based on how much you earn and whether you are eligible for the personal allowance.

  • Standard Rate: PAYE income tax is charged at 20%, less a personal allowance of £12,570, this is signified by tax code 1257L.
  • Higher Rate: For most, income over £50,270 to £150,000 is charged at 40%.
  • Additional Rate: Income above £150,000 is charged at 45%.

What is the Employment Allowance?

The Employment Allowance allows certain businesses that employ workers to reduce their annual National Insurance (NI) bill by up to £4,000 (for the 2021/22 tax year).
Eligible businesses can claim a reduction against their employer’s Class 1 NI liability up to a maximum of £4,000 each tax year. You can still claim the allowance if the liability was less than £4,000 in a tax year.

You can’t claim if you’re a company with only one employee paid above the Class 1 National Insurance Secondary Threshold (£8,840 for the 2021/22 tax year, up from £8,788 for the 2020/21 tax year) if that employee is also a director of the company.

How will I know if I haven’t paid the right amount of PAYE?

HMRC will send out a P800 tax calculation form after the tax year ends on 5 April, which you should receive by the end of November. This will show how much tax is due to be refunded, or is owed for previous years.

Another significant aspect of Taxfile is that it works with a wide range of accounts software (Sage, QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent, VT, Forbes, Moneysoft, and so on) and can accommodate everyone. These are just a few examples, but if you need assistance with any area of PAYE, VAT, or other types of tax, Taxfile and the team are here to help. Call Taxfile on 020 8761 8000, book a free appointment (in-person and phone or video call options are available) or simply message us your tax-related query and we’ll be happy to help. We are accountants and tax experts in South London.

This post was brought to you by Daniel at Taxfile.

Get peace of mind by using an experienced and friendly team of tax advisers and accountants

Peace of Mind from Using an Experienced Tax Team

Get peace of mind by using an experienced and friendly team of tax advisers and accountants

When using Taxfile, you are using an experienced team that will make dealing with your tax affairs seamless. A lot of clients start by coming into our office stressed and overwhelmed, not knowing where to start. Using your current position and needs, we plan a step-by-step approach to keep you on top of your affairs and the relationship between you and HMRC harmonious. Once you are officially on board with us, we will have access to your HMRC record and, with our dedicated agent lines to HMRC, we’ll be able to speak to them on your behalf. This way, you are free from having to call them yourself and wait longer than we do for a call handler. You can also have any issues or queries explained to you in an easy to understand way by our friendly team. If you receive any letters that from HMRC and you don’t understand anything, we will be able to take a look for you and explain what it’s all about.

Any fee you pay Taxfile is tax deductible, so will be put on your tax return and result in a reduction of tax.

Our up-to-date knowledge of the tax system will give you peace of mind, alleviate any anxiety you may have and make the whole experience very different to how a lot of people find it when they are not using a team like ours. We know the best way to approach a tax situation that, without our experience and knowledge, could otherwise result in a lot more time and money being spent unnecessarily. From something as small as missing a tax return deadline, it can spiral into something a lot bigger, potentially including penalties, late payment interest, debt collection agencies being involved and so on. We inform all our clients of upcoming deadlines, for their particular tax situation, and let them know what needs doing and when, avoiding this situation and many more.

Unlike a lot of other companies, our tax experts and accountants are approachable, accessible and happy to help. We’re a unique tax advisor and accountancy practice like no other, with offices in Tulse Hill and Dulwich. We can help with any tax-related issues, including bookkeeping, filling in a tax return, limited company accounts, help accounting for property lettings tax refunds and anything accountancy-related. Call Taxfile on 020 8761 8000, book a free 20-minute appointment with us (remote or in-person options available) or simply email us your tax-related query here.

This post was brought to you by Julie at Taxfile.

Tax “Payment Plans” are ENDING – Act NOW if you Owe Tax!

Tax Debt “Payment Plans” are Ending - Act NOW if you Owe Tax!

Are you late paying your tax? Do you owe unpaid tax for the last financial year, or earlier? Are you struggling to pay it?

Taxfile has recently been helping some of our customers with tax debts from 2019/20 and earlier. In particular, we’re helping them to arrange payment plans with HMRC as part of their ‘Time to Pay‘ scheme. This spreads the cost of those tax debts instead of paying them off in one go. This is really useful to those who are struggling financially following the pandemic. The new payment plans are only available until 1 April 2021, though, so really you should apply by 31 March 2021. Our advice is to act now if you are in a position to take advantage of the payment plans while they’re still — just about — available.

The benefits of arranging a tax payment plan now

Agreeing a payment plan with HMRC will help avoid the 5% late payment penalty that’s usually charged on outstanding tax not paid by the deadline. And, of course, spreading the cost helps those who might otherwise struggle to get together the full amount in one transaction. The HMRC interest rate seems relatively low too.

How Tax Payment Plans have gone so far

What we’ve found so far is that Read more