inland revenue Archives | Page 4 of 6

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 Mark

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 and Dulwich in South East London. 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.

New: Tax Advice & Planning Service

February 2, 2018/in Accountancy, Accountants, Accounts, Advice, Bitcoin, Capital gains tax, CGT, Corporation tax, CT, Disclosure, Dividends, Dulwich, Estate Planning, Higher rate tax payers, HMRC, IHT, Income tax, Inheritance Tax, Investments, Land and property, London, Non-domiciled residents, South London, Stocks & Shares, Tax, Tax advice, Tax advisers, Tax enquiry, tax experts, Tax planning, Tulse Hill/by Mark

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

Need help with your 2016-17 tax return?

October 12, 2017/in 2016, 2017, 2018, Accountants, HMRC, Self-assessment, Tax returns/by Mark

Act fast to save money!

[Updated 21 December 2017] Do you need Taxfile to sort out and file your tax return? We’d be very happy to help and do well over 1000 Self Assessment tax returns for customers every year.

However you need, please, to start giving us your paperwork ideally during December or, at a push, up to the 10th January 2018 absolute latest if you are to avoid the price increases that may come into effect thereafter. (Price increases are sometimes necessary during the busiest accounting months of the year in order to cover the extra staff needed, overtime for long hours, evening and weekend work, particularly to work on returns for those who have left it until the last minute. After 10th January, the accounting world goes mad as everyone tries to hit the January tax return deadline all at the same time — we’ll have something like 400 last-minute tax returns to do in one crazy month). So the message is:

Avoid both the bottlenecks — and a likely price increase from 10th January 2018 — by coming to see us for your tax return as soon as possible. You can book your appointment online at taxfile.co.uk/appointments/ or call the office on 0208 761 8000 (07766 495 871 after hours). If English is not your first language we can still help, as our team speaks a variety of languages.

Please don’t leave it to the last minute – thank you.

We’ll require your records, figures and receipts for the financial year 6 April 2016 to 5 April 2017.

This Week Only – Beat the Tax Return Price Increase!

December 28, 2016/in 2016, 2017, HMRC, Self-assessment, Tax return, Tax returns/by Mark

Beat our 2017 price increase and get your tax affairs in order before the January rush by coming in to see Taxfile for your Self Assessment tax return before December is over.

It might be Christmas week for many but our staff are ready and waiting to help you get your figures correct and to fill out your tax return for you before the January rush. When complete, we’ll submit it to HMRC for you so you can relax for the start of the New Year, avoid any bottlenecks AND save money.

During January some of our prices will increase just a little, as forewarned in our previous post. This is simply to cover some of the overtime and extra hours that Taxfile staff will need to work during January, our busiest time of year, covering all the last minute tax returns. But don’t leave it until January — book an appointment with us during the remainder of December and you’ll save! Call 0208 761 8000 or book an appointment online here.

Big Changes Coming to the Tax System

November 21, 2016/in 2016, 2018, Accountants, Accounts, Bookkeeping, Buy to let, Cash basis, Digital tax accounts, HMRC, Income & Expenditure, Landlords, Limited company, London, Pay as you go, Records, Self-assessment, Self-employed, Sole traders, Tax advice, Tax returns, Taxfile/by Mark

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

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

December 14, 2015/in 2015, 2016, Accountancy, HMRC, Income tax, Pay as you go, Pay-as-you-earn, Tax, Tax advice/by Mark

A 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 therefore 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

Received a ‘P800 tax calculation’ from HRMC in the post?

August 19, 2015/in P800, Tax, Tax calculation, Tax liability, Tax overpayment, Tax underpayment/by Mark

If you have paid either too much or too little tax during the financial year, HMRC will send you a ‘P800 Tax Calculation’ some time between now and October 2015.

If you’ve paid too much tax

If you’ve paid too much tax then you will receive a cheque for the overpayment within 2 weeks of the P800 being issued.

If you’ve paid too little tax

If you’ve paid too little then the P800 will explain how much you owe and how HMRC intend to collect it. Usually this will be by adjusting your tax code so that the tax is recouped via future tax on earnings, however exceptions to this would include, for example, a situation where the taxpayer is now unemployed, in which case HMRC would explain alternative options for paying the money due. Read more

Case Study: a high rate taxpayer in a complex tax situation

June 30, 2015/in Case Studies/by Mark

The Client

A new client, Mr ‘K’, is a higher rate taxpayer who previously used to file his own tax returns.

The Problem

Mr K got into a complicated financial situation in 2013/14 due to having received redundancy pay, severance pay waiver, investment income, PAYE income and pension income. He needed professional guidance and advice regarding his tax liability.

The Solution

Taxfile looked into all the records and correspondence regarding the redundancy and severance pay so as to make sure of the right tax treatment for each. We also calculated the various tax rates for each type of income and advised that the remaining tax liability should be collected through the tax code system.

The Result

The client was reassured that the tax calculation was done professionally and accurately and was able to pay the right amount of tax in the most appropriate way.

Client Feedback

The client was impressed with how quick and efficient Taxfile’s service was and, as a result, is continuing to use our service now and into the future. Read more

STILL haven’t filed your tax return? You owe £410 in fines & counting!

May 26, 2015/in HMRC, Late return, Tax advice, Tax advisers, Tax returns/by Mark

If you STILL haven’t filed your tax return despite the end of May being almost upon us, you’ll owe £410 in HMRC penalties by the end of this week. Continue to throw money down the drain at the rate of £10 extra per day thereafter if you still don’t submit your return.

As we explained in our last post, missing the original January 31 deadline meant an automatic HMRC penalty of £100 (on top of tax owed, of course) at that time.
But, with the additional penalty of £10 per extra day extra having been piling up since 1st May, it means you’ll need to add £310 to the original £100 penalty by the end of this week. Carry on like this for yet another month and by the end of June you’ll owe a whopping £710. It doesn’t end there — by the end of July it’ll be worse still as there is an additional £300 penalty levied by HMRC. Yes, that’s on top of the daily £10 fine and the original £100 penalty, meaning that the total penalty will then be £1300 as a bare minimum (it can be worse still if HMRC deem your case to be particularly serious). All this simply because your tax return is late.

All these penalties are in addition to the actual tax you owe!

Don’t forget … even if you owe no tax, you still need to submit your tax return so aren’t immune to the penalties. Take another look at the full post for more detail or, better still, contact us here at Taxfile urgently if you’d like our professional help in filing your tax return on your behalf — and minimising the penalties you’ll need to pay to HMRC. Call 0208 761 8000, click here to contact us or book an appointment with one of our tax advisors here and we’d be delighted to help. We are based in Tulse Hill, South London.

Still Haven’t Filed Your Tax Return? Expect a Nasty Bill from HMRC!

April 22, 2015/in 2014, Accountancy, Accountants, Advice, HM Revenue and Customs, HMRC, Income tax, Key dates, Late return, London, Nil return, Online returns, penalties, penalty, Self-assessment, South London, Tax, Tax advice, Tax advisers, Tax affairs, Tax bill, Tax return, Tulse Hill/by Mark

If you still haven’t filed your tax return for the financial year up to 5 April 2014 you can expect the penalties from HMRC to begin racking up daily — and potentially very significantly — starting from Friday 1 May.

If you missed the 31 January Tax Return deadline …

If you missed the 31 January 2015 deadline for tax returns, you already owe HMRC £100 in fines on top of any tax you owe. If you don’t owe any tax whatsoever, HMRC still require a tax return from you, plus that £100 in penalties.

If you still haven’t filed your return by 1 May …

From 1 May 2015 you can also expect a £10 daily penalty to kick in, on top of the £100 fine above, up to a maximum addition for the period of £900 (90 days) extra. But it gets even worse…

If you STILL haven’t filed your return by 30 July …

After the 90 day period beginning on May 1st, if you STILL haven’t filed your tax return you’ll receive a further £300 penalty (or 5% of the tax due; whichever is highest) plus a possible additional fine equivalent to 100% (or more) of the tax due, depending on how serious the case is.

Each of these individual penalties is in addition to the preceding ones.

So, to conclude, if by 30 July 2015 you STILL haven’t filed your latest tax return you will be in for a minimum penalty of an incredible £1300.00 and that’s in addition to the tax you owe. Also, Read more

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