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Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS)

Bounce Back Loans for Struggling Businesses: Ending 30 November!

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If your small or medium-sized business has struggled due to adverse trading conditions caused by the pandemic, it may be eligible for a support loan through the Government’s Bounce Back Loan Scheme (‘BBLS’). However, time is running out — you only have until 4 November 2020* to arrange the loan with a lender. That’s just a few weeks away at time of writing. There are some great features, so don’t miss out if you need financial support …

Bounce Back Loans are interest-free for 12 months (with no repayments being required during that time). Thereafter, the interest will be just 2½% per annum. Small businesses can borrow between £2000 and £50,000 depending upon their turnover (the maximum allowed is 25% of their turnover in the 2019 calendar year, up to the £50k ceiling). Another major feature is that the Government guarantees the loan. BBLS loans have a six year term, but you can repay the loan early without incurring an early redemption fee.

The main requirements around eligibility are that:

  • your business is UK based;
  • it was established before 1st march 2020;
  • it has been adversely affected by the pandemic;
  • it is not in bankruptcy, liquidation or undergoing debt restructuring.

N.B. Banks, insurers (excluding brokers), re-insurers, public-sector bodies and state-funded primary/secondary schools are not eligible.

* IMPORTANT NOTE: many of the high street banks now seem to be stating a deadline of the end of November instead of the 4th. However, Taxfile’s advice is to apply before 4th November (the Government’s official, published deadline) to avoid possible disappointment.

A few other caveats apply, so Read more

Further Delays on the Roll-Out of the Domestic Reverse Charge for the Building & Construction Services.

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The domestic reverse-charge is a major change to the way VAT is collected by HMRC in the building and construction industry reporting under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS).

It was being introduced to combat VAT fraud in the sector and the initial roll-out on 1st October 2019 was delayed due to a combination of the sector being ill-prepared for the change and Brexit. The date was moved forward 12-months to 1st October 2020 but due to COVID-19 the start date has been further advanced to 1st March 2021.

At Taxfile, we will start contacting our VAT clients working under the CIS, in preparation for the 1st March 2021 start date.

If you would like to know how to prepare your business for this, you will need to: Read more

Making Tax Digital – A New Time Line

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Making Tax Digital (‘MTD’) was announced as the new initiative by HMRC to revolutionise and modernise the tax system in the UK.

MTD centres around keeping digital financial records that can then be accessed by software to calculate and submit taxes through to HMRC. The goal is that there will be direct ‘digital link’ between the financial record and the software used to calculate and submit the records and therefore ensuring an accuracy in the figures being generated.

With initial teething problems, MTD for VAT started back in April 2019, and as a result of various delays around Brexit & COVID-19, it still has not sailed out of its ‘soft-landing’ period.

On 21st July 2020 the Treasury published a 10-year plan to modernize the UK’s tax system which outlines a blueprint for the transition of the UK’s tax system into the digital age.

MTD for VAT

Introduced in April 2019, MTD for VAT had a soft-landing period where the rules for this ‘digital-link’ were relaxed.  Prior to COVID-19, April 2020 was the date stipulated where all digital links were to be in place for submissions.

As a direct consequence of COVID-19, it has been now been stated that as of 1st April 2021, the ‘soft-landing’ period comes to an end and all VAT registered businesses submitting VAT returns will need to ensure they have these digital links in place for their submissions.

Furthermore, from April 2022, MTD for VAT will apply to all VAT registered businesses and not just those that have a turnover greater than the VAT threshold.

MTD for Income Tax

The 10-year plan targets 6th April 2023 for self-employed businesses and unincorporated landlords to begin reporting Read more

2nd SEISS grant now open for applications (started 17 August 2020)

2nd SEISS Grant Applications – NOW OPEN!

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2nd SEISS grant now open for applications (started 17 August 2020)

The Government previously announced that, much like the furlough scheme, the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (‘SEISS’) is to be extended for a second period and in fact it’s now open for applications.

If your business has been adversely affected as a result of COVID-19 on or after 14th July 2020 you can make a claim from 17th 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 2nd SEISS grant must meet the same criteria as those outlined for the 1st 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 is a taxable one. However, this time, it is based on 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 is capped at a maximum of £6,570.

Taxfile will be in touch with clients to remind them. Now that the 2nd grant is 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 was 13 July 2020. You can start claiming the second SEISS grant now, as it opened to applications on 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.

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[Article updated 17 August 2020].

First SEISS Grant Application Deadline Day Looms

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First SEISS Grant Application Deadline Day Looms

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 1st 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 13th 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).

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Tax Returns for Self-Employed Londoners - Special Offer

Tax Returns for Self-Employed Londoners – Special Offer!

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Tax returns for self-employed Londoners - Special Offer!
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

Read more
Over 400 tax returns submitted

We Submitted Over 400 Tax Returns in January!

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Over 400 tax returns submitted

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).

Late return penalties by HMRC

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

Late with your tax return and tax payment?

Missed the tax return deadline? What now?

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Missed the tax return deadline? What now?

[Updated August 2020] If you missed the deadline to submit your self-assessment tax return, the first thing to know is that you are now into the penalty stage. HMRC applies an automatic £100 penalty to those who are even 1 day late (the deadline was 11.59pm on 31st January) and further penalties are added if you take even longer to comply. It’s worse, of course, if you also haven’t paid any tax owed as you’ll then owe interest too, so our advice is to pay as much as you can as soon as possible, so you’ll reduce any element of interest. However, if there is a genuine reason why you were late with your return, and it fits certain criteria, you have the option to appeal …

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;
  • and occasionally other reasons which, if genuine, HMRC may deem to be relevant.

Excuses that aren’t usually accepted by HMRC include: Read more

TODAY is the deadline for submission of your tax return. Contact Taxfile for help filing & avoid a minimum £100 fine!

31 JANUARY was the Tax Return Deadline!

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TODAY is the Self-Assessment tax return deadline!

[As at 31 January 2020]: 31st January was the last day to file your Self Assessment tax return on time with HMRC. Did you miss the deadline? If so, you’ll straight away be in for a £100 fine from HRMC, and if you continue not to submit your return, other penalties will soon also be added to your debt (click here for more details). So don’t delay — contact Taxfile 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 2018-19 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 Read more