Dulwich | Taxfile

2nd SEISS Grant Applications to start 17-08-2020

July 7, 2020/in 2020, HM Revenue and Customs, Income support, Income tax, Self-assessment, Self-employed, Sole traders, Taxfile /by Taxfile

The Government has announced that, much like the furlough scheme, the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (‘SEISS’) would be extended for a second period.

If your business has been adversely affected as a result of COVID-19 on or after 14^th July 2020 you will be able to make a claim from 17^th August 2020 for the second and final grant.

You can make a claim for the second grant, if you’re eligible, even if you did not make a claim for the first grant.

Your eligibility for the 2^nd SEISS grant must meet the same criteria as those outlined for the 1^st grant:

you must have traded in the tax year 2018/19 and submitted your Self Assessment tax return on or before 23 April 2020;
you must have traded as self-employed in the tax year 2019/20;
you must have all intentions to trade as self-employed in the tax year 2020/21;
your average trading profits must be less than £50,0000;
your trade must have been adversely affected by coronavirus.

Like the first SEISS grant, the second SEISS grant will be a taxable one. However, this time, it will be 70% of your average monthly trading profits. It will be paid out in a single instalment, based on a 3-month period of average profits, and will be capped at a maximum of £6,750.

Taxfile will be in touch with clients before 17^th August to remind them. When the 2^nd grant becomes available, do feel free to call us if you’d like our assistance in helping you to make your claim.

Please remember the deadline for claiming the first SEISS grant is 13 July 2020. You can start claiming the second SEISS grant from 17 August 2020.

Please call Taxfile on 020 8761 8000 if you need help to make a claim for either of these SEISS grants and we’ll be happy to help. Alternatively, fill in and submit the form below and we’ll be in touch to help you.

First SEISS Grant Application Deadline Day Looms

July 7, 2020/in 2020, Deadline, Income support, SEISS, Self-assessment, Self-employed, Sole traders, Taxfile /by Taxfile

Back in April, as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Government announced the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (‘SEISS’), a taxable grant to support self-employed individuals and businesses affected by COVID-19.

The deadline for claiming this initial grant has been set as Monday 13 July 2020.

After this date you will no longer be able to claim for this first SEISS grant.

The 1^st SEISS grant covered a 3 month period, for loss of income due to COVID-19, from April to June 2020. If you are eligible for this grant, you only have until Monday 13^th July 2020 to make the claim. After this date the applications will close and you will have no means of applying.

Need Help?

If you have been putting it off, have not checked your eligibility status, or are unsure how to do so, then please call Taxfile on 020 8761 8000, and we can help you. Alternatively, fill in and submit the form below and we’ll be in touch.

(Interested in the 2nd SEISS grant? Click here).

Tax Returns for Self-Employed Londoners – Special Offer!

April 17, 2020/in 2018, 2019, 2020, Accountants, CIS, Construction Industry Scheme, London, Online returns, penalties, Self-assessment, Special Offers, tax rebates, Tax refunds, Tax returns /by Mark

Are you self-employed? Are you late filing your 2018/19 Self-Assessment tax return? If so, now is the time to get Taxfile to sort it out for you.

There are 4 important reasons why you should file your tax return now:

1. Save money, with our special offer!

For a very limited time, we are offering to do 2018-19 Self-Assessment tax returns for self-employed Londoners for just £199 + VAT (our usual pricing is from £277 + VAT). That’s a saving of nearly £94 including VAT.

2. Stay eligible for Government Help during the lock-down

Self-employed people who are struggling financially during the coronavirus lock-down may be eligible for financial help from the Government. This is in the form of their recently announced Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (‘SEISS’). However, to remain eligible, you must have filed your 2018/19 Self-Assessment tax return by 23 April. If you miss that deadline, you will no longer be eligible for that Government assistance.

3. Avoid severe fines from HMRC for being so late

The original deadline for submission of your 2018/19 Self-Assessment tax return was actually 31 January 2020. So, if you didn’t already file your tax return by that date, you already owe HMRC a fine of £100 minimum. That’s nothing, though, compared to the penalties they will start charging you after April. From 1 May, you will owe an additional £10 per day, every day from that date if you still haven’t filed your 2018/19 tax return. So, for example, after a week you’ll owe the original £100 plus an additional £70 as a minimum, or the £100 plus a further £140 after two weeks and so on. You may also be charged interest on top of all of that if you owed HMRC a tax payment on the original 31 January deadline and still haven’t paid it.

4. You may be due a tax rebate

Some self-employed people may be due a tax rebate. This depends upon your

We Submitted Over 400 Tax Returns in January!

February 19, 2020/in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, Accountancy, Accountants, Battersea, Deadline, Dulwich, Exeter, HMRC, penalties, Self-assessment, Tax advice, Tax returns, Tulse Hill /by Mark

Taxfile prepared and submitted more than 400 Self-Assessment tax returns for clients during January. That’s about a hundred a week and goes to show just how busy it gets for us during January, the busiest month in our accounting calendar.

Did you submit your tax return on time?

The deadline for submission of your tax return (and payment of any tax due) was 31st January at midnight. Did you manage to submit yours in time? If not, you’re already into the ‘penalty’ period where HMRC basically fine you for being late. The penalty comes in the form of an initial £100 fine but that increases, potentially very significantly, as you get later and later with your tax return submission. If you look at the table below, it’s safe to say that you can end up owing a thousand pounds or more if you bury your head in the sand and are 3 months late, or more. If you continue to leave your tax payment and tax return submission outstanding for six months or more, the penalty is £1300 as a minimum – perhaps more (it depends upon how much tax you owe).

Is your tax return & tax payment late? Taxfile can help!

If you are late submitting your tax return or paying tax and don’t know how to straighten things out, don’t Read more

Your Tax Return – All Wrapped Up for Christmas!

November 26, 2019/in 2018, 2019, 2020, Accountancy, Accountants, Income tax, London, Save money, Self-assessment, South London, Tax refunds, Tax return, Tax returns, Tulse Hill /by Mark

Urgent: rather than waiting until January, start sorting out your Self-Assessment Tax Return out right now.

Why now? Well, because every tax expert and accountant in the land is about to hit their busiest month in the accounting year — January. For tax professionals, January is a frantic time because everyone wants their tax matters sorted out at the same time due to HMRC’s deadlines. So, we have to take on extra staff, extend our opening hours and open at weekends — just to keep up with the demand. All of this costs extra money, so we have to increase charges a little during January to cater for the enormous increase in workload. January also becomes quite a bottleneck. In January alone, we are likely to have to prepare and submit around 500 Self-Assessment tax returns for our customers and that’s a very tall order.

So — act now & save money on your tax return

You can avoid extra charges by coming in to see us for your tax return now — well before January. It makes sense to come in early in November or December if you can. That way, we can have your tax affairs sorted in time for Christmas, avoiding the bottleneck. You can then relax in the knowledge that your tax matters have been sorted, ahead of the rush, at the best possible price.

Saturday opening

We’re open Saturday mornings at Tulse Hill from 9am until 1pm for a limited time. So, make the most of this opportunity and book a weekend appointment now, while it costs nothing extra.

Get a tax refund for Christmas!

We can help prepare and submit your Self-Assessment tax return and let you know the all-important amount of tax you need to pay or, indeed, may even be owed by HMRC. If you’ve overpaid tax, we could even get your refund for you in time for Christmas — what a Read more

Final day to submit your Self-Assessment tax return

Today is the Tax Return Deadline!

January 23, 2019/in 2017, 2018, 2019, Accountancy, Accountants, Deadline, Dulwich, HM Revenue and Customs, HMRC, Inland Revenue, London, London SW8, Online returns, Self-assessment, Self-employed, Sole traders, South London, Tax, Tax advice, Tax advisers, tax experts, Tax return, Tax returns, Taxfile, Tulse Hill /by Mark

[As at 31 January]: TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY to file your Self Assessment tax return with HMRC. Miss the deadline (11.59pm on 31st January 2019) and you’ll straight away be in for a £100 fine from HRMC, so don’t delay — contact Taxfile AFTER 9AM to book an appointment with one of our helpful tax advisors and accountancy experts.

We’ll make filling in and filing your tax return a breeze and what’s more, we’re currently open 6 DAYS A WEEK from now until the end of January (Saturday mornings by appointment only). Don’t leave it to the last minute, though, as there is always a bottleneck for those who do — so come in as early as you can this week.

It doesn’t matter if you have zero tax to pay – you still need to submit your tax return on time! You also need to have paid HMRC any tax due for the 2017-18 financial year by the same 31 January deadline.

So get our professional help with filing of your tax return — you can book an appointment online, drop by the Tulse Hill shop or the Battersea office to book one, send us an email message via our contact form or, better still, simply call us on 0208 761 8000 and we’ll book you in and help sort out your tax return accurately and on time. Don’t delay — time is quickly slipping by and if you leave it too late you’ll be caught in the last minute bottleneck!

We’ll require your records, figures and receipts for the financial year 6 April 2016 to 5 April 2018.

* Please note: in extremely busy times such as January, a deposit may be required before commencement of appointments.

Autumn Newsletter 2018

November 12, 2018/in 2017, 2018, 2019, Accountancy, Bookkeeping, Income tax, London, Newsletter, Self-assessment, Tax, Tax advice, Tax advisers, Tax return, Tax returns, Tulse Hill /by Mark

Those of you who are not on our mailing list may be unaware of our latest newsletter. So, we thought we’d post a little about it here, along with a link where you can download an Acrobat PDF version to read at your leisure.

Keep on Top of your Taxes

The Autumn 2018 Newsletter is packed full of articles and advice to help you get on top of your taxes, make sure you are aware of the services we offer and, above all else, ensure that you file your tax return in good time.

It’s Tax Return Time! Act Now!

When it comes to Self-Assessment tax returns, the main message is to act now. That way you will avoid the January stampede and any unnecessary, additional expenses.

Key Contacts at Taxfile

Along with other tax news and advice, we also include a very useful table of your key contacts at Taxfile. Simply choose the service you require and the key people responsible for helping you can be found alongside, including their email addresses for direct contact.

Download the eNewsletter

To find out much more, download the Taxfile Autumn 2018 Newsletter here.

Professional Help to Get Your Tax Affairs in Order

Taxfile are super-keen to help you through the maze of HMRC rules and tax regulations. We’ll get your paperwork, accounts, bookkeeping and tax returns all in order. Simple!

Open for Saturday Appointments

Taxfile’s Tulse Hill (SE21) office is now open on Saturday mornings, from 10am until 1pm, for pre-booked appointments. So, if you’d like to discuss any aspect of your tax and a weekend appointment is more convenient than a weekday, call 0208 761 8000 to book one or book an appointment online here.

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

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