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Self Assessment Payment – Shipley or Cumbernauld
For all those struggling to work our whether to make a bank transfer to HMRC Shipley or Cumbernauld
Your payslip tells you which HMRC account to use. If you’re not sure, use HMRC Cumbernauld. You must use your UTR as the payment reference.
| Sort code | Account number | Account name |
|---|---|---|
| 083210 | 12001039 | HMRC Cumbernauld |
| 083210 | 12001020 | HMRC Shipley |
If you make a Faster Payment this will clear the same day if the amount is within your bank’s limits.
https://www.gov.uk/pay-self-assessment-tax-bill
steve@bicknells.net
HMRC reveals ‘Top 10 oddest excuses’ for late tax returns
I found this on the Gov.uk website and thought is was well worth re-blogging
The following bizarre, exotic and flimsy excuses have all been used by tardy taxpayers:
- My pet goldfish died (self-employed builder)
- I had a run-in with a cow (Midlands farmer)
- After seeing a volcanic eruption on the news, I couldn’t concentrate on anything else (London woman)
- My wife won’t give me my mail (self-employed trader)
- My husband told me the deadline was 31 March, and I believed him (Leicester hairdresser)
- I’ve been far too busy touring the country with my one-man play (Coventry writer)
- My bad back means I can’t go upstairs. That’s where my tax return is (a working taxi driver)
- I’ve been cruising round the world in my yacht, and only picking up post when I’m on dry land (South East man)
- Our business doesn’t really do anything (Kent financial services firm)
- I’ve been too busy submitting my clients’ tax returns (London accountant)
All of these people and businesses received a £100 penalty from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for filing late. They appealed against the decision using these excuses, but were unsuccessful.
HMRC’s Director General of Personal Tax, Ruth Owen, said:
There will always be unforeseen events that mean a taxpayer could not file their tax return on time. However, your pet goldfish passing away isn’t one of them.
If you haven’t yet sent your 2012 to 2013 tax return to HMRC, you need to do it online and pay the tax you owe by the end of January. With all the help and advice available, there’s no excuse not to.
To send an online tax return, you must be registered for HMRC Online Services. This involves HMRC sending you an Activation Code in the post, so allow a few days for this to arrive. To register for HMRC Online Services go to the HMRC website and follow the on-screen instructions.
Key Points from the Autumn Statement 2013
The Chancellor George Osborne presented the Autumn Statement to the House of Commons on 5th December 2013 and things are getting better, economic growth forecasts for this year have more than doubled from 0.6% to 1.4% but the austerity plan is set to continue.
Here is a summary of the key announcements:
Business Rates
Business rate increases in England will be capped at 2% in 2014/15 (they were set to increase by 3.2%) and businesses will be able to pay over 12 months rather than 10.
The Retail Sector will also get a £1,000 discount in 2014/15 and 2015/16, this applies to pubs, cafes, restaurants and charity shops with a rateable value below £50,000.
A reoccupation relief of 50% is being introduced for up to 18 months on premises that have been empty for a year or more and it will apply from 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2016.
Small Business Rate Relief has been extended to April 2015 under the scheme small businesses with a rateable value of £6,000 or less can get 100% relief, the relief is scaled down to zero on rateable values of £12,000 and there is a lower multiplier on rates between £12,001 and £17,999.
Income Tax
As previously announced the personal allowance will be £10,000 for the tax year 2014/15.
From April 2015, a spouse or civil partner who is not liable to income tax will be able to transfer £1,000 of their allowance to a basic rate tax paying spouse and as a result save £200 in tax.
State Pension Age
By 2020 it will be 66, by 2028 it will be 67 and by mid 2030′s 68, then in 2040′s 69.
Capital Gains Tax
The annual exempt amount will be £11,000 for individuals for 2014/15.
But there was an exemption for principle private residence letting for 36 months and from 6th April 2014 it will be reduced to 18 months.
Consultation will start in April on non-residents paying capital gains on property disposals.
Individual Savings Account (ISA)
The limit will rise to £11,880 for 2014/15 and of this £5,940 can be invested in cash ISA’s
Mortgage Guarantee Scheme
The scheme started in October will run for 3 years and end in January 2017.
Buyers will only need a 5% deposit and the government and the funder will guarantee 15% of the loan in return for a fee.
IR35
Legislation will be tightened from April 2014.
Anti-avoidance
A range of measures were discussed in addition to IR35 and these included:
- Partnership Tax
- Controlled foreign companies
- Charities
- High risk tax avoidance schemes
- Dual contracts
Other headline measures
- Employers NI for under 21′s to be scrapped in 2015
- Rolling back green levies to allow an average saving of £50 on energy bills
- Free school meals for infants
- Scrapping of 1% above inflation rail fare increases
- Electronic tax discs
- Abolition of next years 2p per litre fuel duty rise
steve@bicknells.net
High Income Child Benefit Charge
The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) is a tax charge which repays part of the child benefit received by high earners earning over £50,000 to a 100% repayment for those earning over £60.000. It applies to child benefit received from 7th January 2013.
Who does it affect?
You may need to pay a tax charge if:
- you have an individual income over £50,000
- and either you or your partner receive Child Benefit or someone else gets Child Benefit for a child living with you and they contribute at least an equal amount towards the child’s upkeep.
It doesn’t matter if the child living with you is not your child.
What do you need to do?
If you are affected by the tax charge, you can:
- Stop receiving the Child Benefit (only recommended if you’re adjusted net income is over £60k). Follow this link for how to do this.
- Carry on receiving the benefit and pay any tax charge at the end of the tax year.
How to calculate adjusted net income?
It is important to realise that the income used to calculate the tax charge is your adjusted net income. You can use the calculator on Gov.uk to work out your adjusted income.
How to pay the tax charge
If the tax charge does apply to you, you will need to submit a self-assessment return to HMRC by 31st January following the end of the relevant tax year. Do not rely on HMRC writing to tell you that you need to submit a return as they may not realise you need to. Normal self-assessment penalties apply if returns are late or incorrect.
How much do you need to pay?
The charge is 1% of child benefit received for every £100 of income over £50,000 of adjusted net income. The charge will never be higher than the amount of child benefit received and if the income is over £60,000 the amount paid back to HMRC will be equal to the benefit received.
Rebecca Taylor ACMA
Fake email alerts from HMRC and Companies House
Fake email alerts from Companies House and HMRC have become increasingly sophisticated. There was a time when it was relatively easy to spot a fake email alert but even accountants have been caught out by recent fake email alerts. And it isn’t just Companies House and HMRC. Be careful of emails from banks, other institutions, postal services, voicemail services and even Skype. Previously harmful emails have tried to direct you to a fake website to steal your personal details but these recent emails have attachments which could harm your computer.
What to look for
These fake email alertss have an attachment which appears to support details in the email message. For example, it could claim to be a customer complaint from Companies House, a missed delivery or a bank transaction. The email address could give you a clue that it is a fake email alert but many now look like they have come from a genuine email address. Some fake emails have footers which have been obviously copied from another email. If you are not expecting an email from the sender, think twice before opening any attachments, particularly .zip files.
Why
These emails are all trying to get you to do one thing: open the attachment. The attachment invariably contains malware or a virus and will either damage your computer, steal your details or even demand a ransom (see an article from the National Crime Agency on Cryptolocker).
Advice
The National Crime Agency provides this advice:
This is a case where prevention is better than cure.
- The public should be aware not to click on any such attachment.
- Antivirus software should be updated, as should operating systems.
- User created files should be backed up routinely and preserved off the network.
- Where a computer becomes infected it should be disconnected from the network, and professional assistance should be sought to clean the computer.
- Various antivirus companies offer remedial software solutions (though they will not restore encrypted files).
Example of fake emails
Follow the links for some examples of fake emails:
5 ways to reduce the risk of a tax investigation
THE TAX YIELD derived from HM Revenue & Customs investigations into the affairs of small- and medium-sized companies rose by 31% over the last 12 months, according to UHY Hacker Young.
Compliance investigations into SMEs generated £565m for HMRC in 2012/13, up from £434m in 2011/12, with the year ending March 31. Accountancy Age
Some investigations are random and some as a result of HMRC task forces, but many are triggered by risk profiling.
What can you do to reduce your chances of being selected:
1. File your tax returns on time and pay what you owe – If you file late or at the last minute HMRC will think you are disorganised and as such there are more likely to be errors in the return
2. Declare all your income – HMRC get details of bank interest and other sources of income, sometimes they test them and match them to returns
3. Use an accountant – Unrepresented taxpayers are more likely to be looked at, mainly because many of them don’t know what they are doing
4. Trends – if your business doesn’t match the profile of similar business in the same sector or your results suddenly fluctuate it could raise concerns at HMRC, for example, if you suddenly request a VAT refund
5. Tax Avoidance Schemes – if you are using a tax avoidance scheme I am sure HMRC will be looking closely, if they can find a way to challenge the scheme then at some point they will
steve@bicknells.net
What fees does a barrister need to declare?
Special rules for barristers and advocates
Barristers are not permitted to provide their services through a limited company. All barristers have to register as self-employed and submit business accounts as a sole trader to HMRC. There are special provisions relating to cash accounting and the rules have changed in recent years meaning there are three different regimes that can apply. There are time limits for the cash accounting schemes so if you are in your first few years of practising you will need to make sure that you are reporting the correct figures to HMRC. Guidance is available from the Bar Council here.
A barrister on a mobile phone outside Southwark Crown Court.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cash Accounting
The Finance Act 2013 introduced the possibility of cash accounting for most unincorporated business including sole traders from 6th April 2013. Barristers already had a cash scheme available when they started their practice with permission to continue the same cash accounting principles for up to 7 years under the Finance Act 1998. This old cash scheme is no longer available to new barristers, but anyone who started preparing accounts under the old cash basis by 5th April 2013 can continue to do so until their seven years is up or they transfer voluntarily to another scheme. Once you have left the old cash scheme there is no turning back.
Barristers can join the new cash scheme where fee receipts do not exceed the VAT registration threshold (currently £79,000 per year). If receipts are more than twice the VAT registration threshold (currently £158,000) the barrister must leave the scheme.
The advantages of the cash schemes are that they are easier to administer so there is less need to engage an accountant to prepare your accounts. You only pay tax on fees received and you do not have make calculations at the year-end for work that is incomplete or invoiced and not yet paid by your clients. This means that your tax payments are delayed compared to the earnings basis below and will improve your cash flow. There are other aspects of the cash schemes which are explained in more detail here.
A barrister on the old cash scheme can elect to leave the scheme early, but the new cash scheme does not allow exit unless there is a “change in commercial circumstances”.
Earnings based accounting
UITF 40 requires that long term contracts are recognised in the year-end accounts to the extent that partly performed work is recognised as taxable income. This requires barristers to calculate the value of any Work In Progress (WIP) at the end of their financial year and include this in their total income.
Materiality is a key concept in accounting, but the materiality of the total WIP must be considered not just the materiality of each individual contract. It is not permitted to disregard a number of immaterial amounts if when considered together they are material to the accounts. In practice this means that almost all WIP is chargeable to tax under the earnings method. One of the few clear cut exceptions is a no fee no win case, where no WIP is to be recognised.
Transitional arrangements
When changing from either cash accounting scheme to the earnings based scheme a calculation of the WIP must be made which will increase the taxable income for the year. The old cash method allows the closing WIP at the time of the change to the earnings method to be recognised over a period of up to 10 years. The provisions under the new cash scheme have a reduced timeframe of 6 years. It is normally the case that anyone transferring from the old cash scheme to the new cash scheme would not need any adjustment to the annual accounts. There are corresponding adjustments for barristers transferring from the earnings scheme to the new cash scheme – explained in more detail here.
For more information on an accountancy firm that can set you up with online accounting and deal with all your business accounts and VAT – contact Alterledger or visit the website alterledger.com.
Useful links
| Bar Council Guidance | practice-updates-and-guidance/remuneration-guidance/ |
| Faculty of Advocates | http://www.advocates.org.uk/ |
| HMRC crackdown on barristers | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19635051 |
Do I need to do a tax return?
If any of the following apply then, YES, you need to do a tax return:
-
You’re self-employed
-
You’re a company director, minister, Lloyd’s name or member
-
Your annual income is £100,000 or more
-
You have income from savings, investment or property (unless collected via PAYE)
- £10,000 or more from taxed savings and investments
- £2,500 or more from untaxed savings and investments
- £10,000 or more from property (before deducting allowable expenses)
- £2,500 or more from property (after deducting allowable expenses)
-
You need to claim expenses or reliefs
-
You or your partner receive Child Benefit and your income is over £50,000
-
You’re 65 and receive a reduced age-related allowance
-
You get income from overseas
-
You have income from trusts, settlements and estates
-
You have Capital Gains Tax to pay
-
You’ve lived or worked abroad or aren’t domiciled in the UK
-
You’re a trustee
For full details of who needs to do a tax return follow this link http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/need-tax-return.htm
For details of how to register go to http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/register.htm
I know that sometimes people simply don’t realise that they need to do a return, for example a newly appointed Director or someone receiving Dividends. HMRC often don’t know if you should be doing a return (if they think you should be they will contact you), so it is up to you to make sure you file a return and disclose your income to HMRC if any of the above apply.
If you think you have an excuse, think again!
http://stevejbicknell.com/2012/10/15/reasons-excuses-for-filing-your-self-assessment-return-late/
As you will see your chances of HMRC accepting your excuse are slim.
Employment Expenses – Use Form P87
As an employee you can claim tax relief for expenses incurred in doing your job (if not fully reimbursed by your employer), for example business mileage, cycling on business, hotels, meals, business phone calls, in fact anything as long as its business related
If your claim is less than £2500 you can make your claim using Form P87 without the need to do self assessment.
http://stevejbicknell.com/2011/12/20/how-to-claim-tax-relief-for-employment-expenses/
So having workout you need to do a return. and having registered online, and filed your first return with HMRC, what if you later find you have make a mistake, what can you do?
If you make a mistake on your tax return you’ve normally got 12 months from 31 January after the end of the tax year to correct it. This is called an ‘amendment’. For example, for the 2011-12 return you have until 31 January 2014 to make an amendment.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/correct-repay.htm
What if you don’t file in time?
The penalties for late Self Assessment returns are:
- an initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay, or if the tax due is paid on time;
- after three months, additional daily penalties of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900;
- after six months, a further penalty of 5 per cent of the tax due or £300, whichever is greater; and
- after 12 months, another 5 per cent or £300 charge, whichever is greater.
There are also additional penalties for paying late of 5 per cent of the tax unpaid at: 30 days; six months; and 12 months.
What if you don’t have all the answers, can you put in provisional figures?
There are occasions on which some information cannot be finalised within the formal self assessment time limits despite the taxpayer’s best efforts to do so. In such cases the taxpayer should include a ‘best estimate’ of the information in the tax return and, if appropriate, a corresponding provisional figure of the tax due. The provisional figures should be clearly identified as such in the tax return. A tax return containing a provisional figure should only be submitted once it is clear that a more accurate figure will not be available before the filing date.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/salfmanual/salf206.htm
steve@bicknells.net
Business Accountant 