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

Help with CIS Tax Returns & Refunds Across the UK

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

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 of England and, of course, our existing services in London and the South East of England.

More specifically, we can help you if you are:

  • 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,
  • Of course, that’s on top of the existing bases in Tulse Hill and Dulwich in South London,

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

TAX HELP! Your 1-stop tax shop

Taxfile: Your One-Stop Tax & Accountancy Shop

TAX HELP! Your 1-stop tax shop

Taxfile has over 100 years of combined tax and accounting experience. It’s incredible to think that the key personnel have administered over 30,000 tax submissions in the past 20 years! Beginning way back in 1994 (and continuing as Guy Bridger Limited from 1997), we originally started business offering only CIS sub-contractor returns but quickly developed the service to help the self-employed, local businesses and higher rate taxpayers with their tax computations. Along the way we added tax and accounting services for taxi drivers, cab drivers, landlords and more. We also offer Capital Gains tax expertise and tax investigation help and, more recently, professional help with disclosures, written tax advice and tax planning for things like inheritance.

We have exceptional accounting experience in all key tax and accounting areas including:

Taxfile helps individuals as well as businesses. Our customers are very varied, turning over anything from £10,000 to over £1 million a year. A few are high wealth individuals who no longer need to work but still need to account for their taxes etc. Some customers have retired, others operate small businesses and some don’t even live in the UK but may have assets here. So, whatever your income, assets or situation, the message is that if you need ANY tax-related help, you’ve found the right place in Taxfile.

Taxfile also has the back-up and expertise of professional bodies on tap (so nothing is too complicated for us) and also has excellent relations with the tax authorities — we’re very well trusted by HMRC. Guy even helps in the local employment zone, which aims to improve business in the Tulse Hill and West Norwood area. So, Taxfile is very much part of the local community, particularly in South London (but expanding to other areas too — keep an eye on this blog for forthcoming information about that in the very near future).

Whatever help you need with tax and accountancy-related matters, call Taxfile on 0208 761 8000 and we’ll be delighted to help you. Alternatively, Read more

New tax planning & tax advice service from Taxfile

New: Tax Advice & Planning Service

New tax planning & tax advice service from Taxfile

You can now get tax planning and tax advice from Taxfile. We have highly experienced senior accounting staff who can give you the right tax advice when you need it most — for example, when your circumstances are changing, if you’ve had trouble keeping on top of your tax commitments and need to bring things up to date, or perhaps a friend or relative simply needs a bit of reassurance with regard to their tax situation. Perhaps you have assets or income abroad as well as income in the UK and want to make sense of your tax position. Or, perhaps you have recently made a tidy profit trading crypto coins like Bitcoin and want to know where you are from the standpoint of Capital Gains or Income Tax. Maybe you need to disclose income from property rental that you have previously not told HMRC about (more about that in a later post). Those are all examples of typical situations where our new Professional Tax Advice and Tax Planning services can help you to see the wood from the trees.

A Free Telephone Consultation

In the first instance, we are inviting clients to speak for just 15 minutes with one of our resident tax planning experts. This will be in the form of a free, introductory telephone call, perhaps in February or March if it suits you. We can then see what’s needed and take it from there. We can, of course, discuss any costs with you before you commit to anything further, and there is no obligation.

Whether it’s about labour taxes, investment taxes, business taxes, disclosures to HMRC or even professional help to support you during an HMRC tax investigation, we can make sense of all the options for you and — in a fair and ethical way — help to make sure you are paying no more tax than you should do. With decades of experience in accountancy and tax planning, we know exactly what’s what when it comes to tax, so can definitely help you. Call 0208 761 8000 to arrange your free 15 minute telephone appointment with a tax expert, at a mutually convenient time. Alternatively, Read more

Christmas & New Year Opening at Taxfile

Christmas & New Year Opening at Taxfile

Christmas & New Year Opening at Taxfile

The Taxfile Team would like to wish all our readers and customers a very happy festive season and to pass on our very best wishes to everyone for the New Year.

Taxfile will be open as usual until Saturday* 23 December. We then close briefly for Christmas Day and Boxing Day (Monday 25 & Tuesday 26 December respectively).

We will be open again as usual from Wednesday 27th to Saturday* 30th December, then closed for the New Year’s celebrations until Tuesday 2nd January 2018 when we re-open again —from that date it’s back to our usual working hours. Here are the full details:

  • Thursday 21 December: open 9am – 5pm
  • Friday 22 December: open 9am – 3pm
  • Saturday 23 December: open 10am to 1pm (by appointment only)
  • Sunday 24 December: closed
  • Monday 25 December (Christmas Day): closed
  • Tuesday 26 December (Boxing Day): closed
  • Wednesday 27 December: open 9am – 5pm
  • Thursday 28 December: open 9am – 5pm
  • Friday 29 December: open 9am – 3pm
  • Saturday 30 December: open 10am -1pm (by appointment only)
  • Sunday 31 December: closed
  • Monday 1 January 2018 (New Year’s Day): closed for the Bank Holiday
  • Tuesday 2 January onwards: open as usual Mon-Tues 9-6, Wed-Thur 9-5, Fri 9-3, Sat 9-1 (by appointment)

*Saturday morning opening is from 10am to 1pm and is for appointments only, so do book an appointment if you’d like to discuss anything with us at the weekend rather than during the normal working week.

Last few free 20 minute appointments – act fast if you’d like a free tax consultation!

If you would like a free 20 minute consultation for any tax matter, please book a date before the end of December as we pause free consultations during our busiest month of the year – in January we are swamped with tax return deadlines and have to concentrate on hitting those on behalf of our customers. Free 20 minute consultations will, of course, resume from 1st February.

You can book an appointment online here or simply call 0208 761 8000 (07766 495 871 after office hours) to arrange one with our tax professionals.

The Taxfile Team wishes you all a very happy festive season and our very best wishes for the New Year. Thank you too for your custom during 2017 — we really appreciate it. Here’s to 2018 when it arrives!

Tax reforms coming in 2018

Big Changes Coming to the Tax System

Tax reforms coming in 2018

Starting on 1 April 2018, a brand new tax system, one that will affect most business owners in the UK, will begin to roll out. Whether you’re a landlord, are working for yourself as a sole trader or have a limited company, the changes will affect you.

So what’s happening?

Instead of a once-a-year tax return, HMRC will require quarterly profit and loss information. So, that’s four times a year. For Taxfile clients, that means we’ll need to know all your income and expenses during every quarter so that we can make the necessary financial data available, on your behalf, to HMRC. As well as your bank statements, we’ll need to see receipts for the expenses, whether they’re provided physically or via a suitable electronic medium (there are plenty of apps and software packages for this purpose). Once we have everything for the quarter in question, we will be able to make sure that you’re claiming for all the allowable expenses that you are eligible for and aren’t claiming for things that you shouldn’t, so that your figures are absolutely correct.

If you don’t file in time there could be an HMRC penalty, so letting Taxfile handle your quarterly reporting will help to keep you on track seamlessly when the new changes come into force. We’ll be able to confirm our own pricing nearer the time but it’s likely to be circa just £75 per quarter, excluding VAT.

A ‘cash basis’ system

The new tax system will be known as a ‘Cash Basis’ system and will also allow tax to be paid to HMRC on a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) basis. Essentially, it means that businesses need only calculate their profits based on receipts and payments, which is far more straight forward than the more complex system that currently exists. When integrated into the Government’s new ‘digital tax accounts’, the system will really help to simplify tax, make budgeting and cash-flow easier through near real-time reporting and eventually remove the need for the traditional tax return at the end of the year — that’ll eventually be the case for virtually everyone. As an added bonus it’ll also mean that business owners keep more on top of their bookkeeping and thereby avoid a last minute scramble to update records. Taxpayers will also be able to see a complete financial picture of their tax affairs in the one place — their digital account — and all their liabilities and entitlements will be clear to see and manage more effectively than ever.

Taxfile

Nearer the time the changes come into place, Taxfile will be there to help its customers adapt to the new system and between us we’ll make sure that it’s easy and hassle-free. We’ll be able to Read more

Taxfile multi-lingual staff at a glance

Taxfile’s multi-lingual, multi-talented staff, at a glance

multi-lingual accountants and tax advisers[Updated]: It’s common knowledge that most of Taxfile’s South London staff are multi-lingual but can you guess which staff member speaks no less than four languages fluently (Russian, Pashto, Dari and English) and which staff member is into both metal music and Irish dancing? And who should you ask for if you need payroll services? And who specialises in bookkeeping … who in limited company accounts and so on? Our staff ‘mind map’ tells you a bit more about each member of the team, what their specialities are, key interests and, of course, their contact details in case you ever need their help. Take a look … Read more

Autumn Newsletter 2016

Taxfile’s Autumn Newsletter 2016

Taxfile's Autumn Newsletter 2016

Taxfile's Autumn Newsletter 2016Hot off the press is our brand new Autumn newsletter for 2016. If you haven’t yet seen it, take a look because it’s jam-packed full of useful information that’ll help you keep your tax affairs and accounts in order, save you money and keep you up to speed on tax matters. Here’s a quick flavour of what’s included (or click the thumbnail image to view or download the newsletter):

  • Act fast to save money on your 2015-16 tax return – see the newsletter’s first article.
  • Sub-contractors working in the construction industry are invited to claim their CIS tax refunds through Taxfile, so they have their refund in time for Christmas!
  • Help if you’re late with any previous years’ tax returns and tax payments — and how you already owe HMRC at least £1300 if you haven’t filed your 2014/15 tax return or paid tax for that year.
  • Try the UK’s Number 1 cloud-based accounts package FREE, for a month. No credit card required – cancel at any time – full details are included in the newsletter. [UPDATE: Please note that this offer has now expired].
  • Help if your tax affairs are in a mess — are you late filing returns or paying tax? Are you worried about HMRC penalties? Are you a foreign worker, working in the UK, and need to get your tax records up to date following the Brexit decision? We’re here to help!
  • Taxfile are Finalists in the ‘Independent Firm of the Year, Greater London’ category of the British Accountancy Awards 2016.
  • Free tax enquiry Fee Protection Insurance for Taxfile customers who file their tax returns by the statutory deadline through Taxfile.
  • How online banking may save you time and money.
  • Introduce a new client to Taxfile and save 10% on our fees!
  • Saturday opening at Taxfile (Tulse Hill office) throughout November and December.
  • Help with all your tax and accounting needs – check out our list of all the things we can help you with — now including auto enrolment!
  • And a ‘thank you’ to all Taxfile customers … Read more
Free accounting software package

AMAZING OFFER! Save Time, Money & Space with a FREE Sage Bookkeeping & Accounts Package!*

Free accounting software package[UPDATE: Please note that this offer has now expired]. Taxfile’s customers can benefit from an incredible offer on a range of Sage accounting packages at the moment. We’re offering a FREE or, in effect, heavily subsidised* Sage accounting package to all active Taxfile customers, whether existing or new. There are various different packages available so we’re sure we’ll have one which will suit every customer perfectly. The list of benefits is almost endless — here are just a few:

  • Firstly we’ll GIVE* Taxfile customers the package — you don’t have to pay Sage at all;
  • Say hello to quick and easy bookkeeping and record-keeping;
  • Quick and easy cash flow management tools;
  • Cloud-based record keeping means you can access accounts records from anywhere with an internet connection;
  • Automatic bank statement integration makes bank reconciliation a breeze, helping when receipts go missing and even recognising – and accounting for – regular transactions;
  • A mobile app module allows you to simply snap a photo of your receipt and it uploads to your Sage account (say goodbye to physical receipt storage!);
  • Less paperwork!
  • Automatic tax computations performed by the software;
  • Report and analysis options;
  • VAT handling;
  • Automatic VAT return options (or let us handle it for you as you prefer);
  • Shows you the taxes and National Insurance due so you can easily pay them on time;
  • Fast and easier tax returns;
  • Help from Taxfile at any point and from Sage’s own helpful videos;
  • Helps you stay in line with UK laws, taxes and regulations;
  • No experience needed;
  • Perfect for the self-employed, start-ups and small businesses;
  • Taxfile will even be happy to set you up;
  • Integrated invoicing and quotation options available (even from your mobile phone!);
  • A quick and easy payroll bolt-on is also available for limited companies, with payslips, RTI, Auto Enrolment integration etc.;
  • Auto enrolment communications included if you have a company pension scheme;
  • Option to automatically integrate online e-commerce records into your Sage account;
  • Fast and easier company accounts preparation;
  • … and much more!

But there is more major benefit – collaboration with us, your accountant!

The Sage packages we supply are not only free, or in effect heavily subsidised depending on the package involved, but also allow us, your accountant and tax adviser, to collaborate with you within your Sage package with your permission. So where you cannot do something yourself, we can log in using our own integrated Sage administration system to get involved on your behalf, for example to set things up for you, run reports, activate VAT returns, tax returns, end of year accounts, payroll and so on. It’s amazing really! So you do as much or as little as you want to … and we cover everything else!

You save money!

Using the easy but powerful Sage bookkeeping and accounting packages supplied by Taxfile
means that you’ll save money. It’s as simple as that. Customers using such packages makes our job easier, reducing our chargeable hours working on your accounts, so quite simply saves you money!

You also save time!

Our Sage packages will save you SO much time you’ll never look back! Once you’ve tried our Sage packages for a while you’ll Read more

Guy Bridger outside the Tax Office

“Pay As You Go” Self-Assessment is on it’s way!

Pay-as-you-go Self AssessmentA few years ago Guy Bridger, from Taxfile, was helping to advise The Office of Tax Simplification and the then Director Michael Jack. Guy proposed that, while the bulk of the working population have their taxes calculated by their employer and thereforGuy Meets Rt. Hon Michael Jacke pay taxes in ‘real time’ with clarity, ease and convenience, the same was unfortunately not true for the UK’s small business owners and the self-employed. For those, it is too often the case that taxes are paid as much as 18 months in arrears because of limitations in the existing tax system. This time lag often means that the tax due to be paid has been spent already, simply because that old system had too large a reporting and payment window. So Guy suggested that ‘real time’ reporting and payments of tax would be significantly more convenient and beneficial to the small business owner and self-employed individual. It would enable them to keep on top of taxes and, as an added bonus, their accounts records too.

The Government has now recognised this good advice. In a new system nicknamed ‘Pay As You Go Self-Assessment’, the Chancellor has announced that small businesses, landlords and self-employed workers making more than £10k in profit each year will be able to account for tax in virtually “real time”. This will be made possible via Read more

Taxfile newsletter (Autumn 2015)

Save money & hassle with our latest PDF newsletter!

Taxfile newsletter (Autumn 2015)Check out our latest A4 newsletter — which is jam-packed with ways to save money when dealing with your tax affairs and is more comprehensive than our recent e-newsletter. Savings include our 5% Early Bird discount for help with your tax return or accounts before Christmas, our offer to reduce your Taxfile bill by a further 12½% if you introduce a friend who then becomes a Taxfile client, a shout out to all sub-contractors in the construction industry who, if they act fast, can have their CIS tax refunds in time for Christmas, plus Key Dates in the tax calendar, a warning to Landlords — and a whole lot more.

Download the newsletter here (Acrobat PDF format – right-click to save the PDF to your hard drive then open it in Acrobat Reader or alternatively left-click the link to view the newsletter directly in most browsers).