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Say goodbye to small earnings
Say hello to small profits
HMRC has changed the name of the threshold for paying Class 2 National Insurance from the Small Earnings Limit to the Small Profits Threshold. If you earn less than £5,965 in 2015-16 you won’t need to pay Class 2 NI, but if you do, it will be calculated as part of your 2015-16 tax return and due with the rest of your tax by 31st January 2017.
English: British National Insurance stamp. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Alterledger can help
For more information on filling in your tax return, contact Alterledger or visit the website alterledger.com to see if you can organise yourself better and cut your tax bill.
Related articles
Taxman reveals top 10 terrible tax excuses
Last years excuses used in unsuccessful appeals against HMRC penalties for late filing and payment. Here’s the full list:
- My pet dog ate my tax return…and all the reminders.
- I was up a mountain in Wales, and couldn’t find a postbox or get an internet signal.
- I fell in with the wrong crowd.
- I’ve been travelling the world, trying to escape from a foreign intelligence agency.
- Barack Obama is in charge of my finances.
- I’ve been busy looking after a flock of escaped parrots and some fox cubs.
- A work colleague borrowed my tax return, to photocopy it, and didn’t give it back.
- I live in a camper van in a supermarket car park.
- My girlfriend’s pregnant.
- I was in Australia.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/taxman-reveals-top-10-terrible-tax-excuses
The previous year, 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.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/revenue-reveals-top-10-oddest-excuses-for-late-tax-returns
Don’t be late get your return done!
steve@bicknells.net
Will your tax return stand up to HMRC Profit Benchmarking?
HMRC have been doing lots of research on SME businesses, the most interesting areas of research are:
Understanding Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) business life events – SME Customer Journey Mapping
Research was carried out to understand:
- the key life events and activities that SMEs experience
- how these relate to tax
- what opportunities there are for the improvement of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) services by more closely aligning them to business lifecycles
The Transparent Benchmarking Team Statement (November 2014)
HMRC is conducting a number of pilots, focussed on SME customers, designed to explore the effectiveness of publishing benchmarks on aiding greater voluntary compliance.
Following the first pilot (benchmark net profit ratios for Painters and Decorators, and Driving Instructors) in March 2014, HMRC will run two more in the autumn. One of these will focus on self-employed taxi drivers and pharmacists, where HMRC will be writing to around 2,500 agents that have a number of clients in the target sectors. The idea is to test whether publishing benchmarks through an agent is more effective than writing to a customer directly. Letters will also be sent to a sample of represented and unrepresented customers within the selected sectors to form control groups for evaluation purposes. All represented individuals and businesses written to directly will be informed that their agent has not received a copy of the letter.
The benchmark for both sectors is the net profit ratio. Because this is a controlled pilot exercise, not all agents or businesses within the relevant sectors will be receiving a letter. (source CIOT)
The Benchmarks we know so far are:
- Painters & Decorators range from 59% to 79%
- Driving Instructors 31% to 67%
So the range of profits are big!
We await the ranges for Taxi Drivers and Pharmacists.
If your profit doesn’t fit then you need to know why.
Do not ignore the letter because HMRC are likely to follow it up and assume you are deliberately trying to avoid tax!
You may have some valid reasons for not fitting the benchmark and you must explain those reasons to HMRC.
A deliberate error will results in a higher penalty (up 100% of the tax) but can also open the door to HMRC going back over up to 20 years of your accounts!
The letters refer to common mistakes in:
- Travel Expenses
- Telephone Costs
- Utility and insurance charges
- Professional Fees
- Capital Expenditure
You may find these blogs helpful
HMRC also have some useful toolkits/checklists…..
Private and Personal Expenditure Toolkit
steve@bicknells.net
What if you can’t complete your Self Assessment Tax Return?
11.2 million people will be required to complete a Self Assessment Return for 2013/14 and the deadline is the 31st January 2015.
The most common things you will need to know are:
- Employment Income – P60 and P11D
- Pension Contributions – statement from provider
- Donations to Charity
- Bank and Building Society Interest
- Dividends
- Buy to Let Investments, Holiday Lets and Second Homes
- Other Income
- Employment Expenses not paid by your employer including mileage to approved rates and clothing
- Professional Memberships related to your job and on HMRC List 3
- Home Office Expenses
What can you do if despite your best efforts you can’t find or get hold of the information you need?
Returns which include provisional or estimated figures should be accepted provided they can be regarded as satisfying the filing requirement.
- A provisional figure is one which the taxpayer / agent has supplied pending the submission of the final / accurate figure
- An estimated figure is one which the taxpayer / agent wishes to be accepted as the final figure because it is not possible to provide an accurate figure for example where the records have been lost. The taxpayer is not required to tick box 20 of the Finishing your Tax Return section of the return page TR 6 (or equivalent in a return for an earlier year) where estimated figures have been used
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 or amend it. For example, if you send your 2013-14 online tax return by 31 January 2015, you have until 31 January 2016 to amendment it.
If you sent your tax return online by 31 January, it’s easy to amend it online too. You just need to log into your Self Assessment online account, go to the ‘at a glance’ page and choose the option to amend your tax return.
steve@bicknells.net
Simple Tax – a great way to file your return
I read about Simple Tax in an article in the Express…
Backed by venture capital investors including EC1 Capital, Seedcamp and Charlotte Street Capital, SimpleTax was set up to help customers find ways to save money on their tax bills and file returns online with HMRC in minutes.
SimpleTax’s users have so far cut a total of £2.5 million from their tax bills
So I tried it out, it’s great and it’s free.
You will need your HMRC Online filing details if you want to file your return alternatively you can just print out the return.
For taxpayers who have very straightforward returns Simple Tax should make it quicker and easier to complete and file online.
As you prepare the return Simple Tax gives you tips on things you can claim and ways to save tax.
Take a look and see what you think https://www.gosimpletax.com/
For those with more complicated tax returns get advice from a CIMA Accountant.
steve@bicknells.net
How HMRC use IT systems to seek out tax evaders
There is no doubting the resolve of HMRC to track down and prosecute tax evaders.
The Government has committed to spend £917m to tackle tax evasion and raise an additional £7bn each year by 2014/15.
HMRC are using 2,500 staff to tackle avoidance, evasion and fraud, there is also a website to help those who want to declare income https://www.gov.uk/sortmytax
In the search for tax evaders, HMRC have a £45m computer system called Connect which in 2011 delivered £1.4bn in tax revenue and the system is getting bigger and better all the time. According to Accounting Web:
It uses a mathematical technique to search previously unrelated information and detect otherwise invisible ‘relationship’ networks. Using Connect, HMRC sifts through information on property transactions at the Land Registry, company ownerships, loans, bank accounts, employment history, voting and local authority rates registers and compares with self-assessment records to spot taxpayers who might be under-declaring or not declaring income.
Last year Connect made links between tax records and third party data from hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, insurers and even gas SAFE registrations. DVLA records and the shipping and Civil Aviation Authority registers help identify owners of cars and planes who declare income that the computer suggests cannot support such purchases.
In addition HMRC have also identified 200 accountants, lawyers and professionals who advise on tax avoidance structures and its currently unclear how HMRC will be dealing with them and their clients.
It is important to remember that most people pay the correct tax, in fact HMRC calculate that 93% of tax due is paid correctly, its only a small minority who try to evade tax.
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.
Have you filed your Self Assessment Return?
Last year, while millions of people were exchanging presents, feasting on turkey, and nodding off in front of the television, 1,548 people decided to take time out from the yuletide festivities and do their tax return online – a 40 per cent increase on Christmas Day 2011, when 1,100 people filed online.
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.
Make sure you get yours done before the end of January!
steve@bicknells.net
Everybody has to pay tax but what if HMRC get it wrong?
If you don’t file your tax returns HMRC will assess the amount of tax due but it will probably not be the correct amount. So what can you do to correct the tax payable?
A person can claim overpayment relief to recover overpaid income tax, CGT, Class 4 NIC or corporation tax or to reduce an excessive assessment. A person can claim overpayment relief to recover overpaid bank payroll tax or to reduce an excessive assessment.
This includes amounts paid under a contract settlement.
This is an important ‘relief of last resort’ for taxpayers who have missed all other deadlines and face a tax bill from HMRC, where there is no statutory right to amend the actual legal liability because the relevant time limits have passed.
Special relief is intended as a final and exceptional remedy where it would be unconscionable for HMRC to pursue tax that is legally due. HMRC has a duty to both Parliament and taxpayers generally to collect the tax due under relevant tax law and to ensure the tax system is operated fairly. This means that HMRC cannot simply disregard the time limits for making a self-assessment if it appears that a determination might be excessive. There must be further circumstances which make it unconscionable to recover the full amount due under the determination or not to repay an amount already paid.
Such circumstances might be where a person
- is suffering from a temporary or sporadic illness, including mental illness, and consequently finds it particularly difficult to engage with the tax system
- has not received our notices or other communications for reasons outside their control
- is insolvent. Where the debt is based on determined sums, and the late submitted evidence (or returns) prove that a different amount would have been due if returns had been made in time, we would consider using this relief. Relief would be considered where doing so is fair to other creditors – so the unconscionable element would be that pursuing the amount in the determination would be to the detriment of other creditors.
For a claim to special relief to be successful, it must, among other things, explain why the person considers that it would be unconscionable for HMRC to recover the full amount charged by a determination. Unconscionable means “completely unreasonable” or “unreasonably excessive”. SACM12240
HMRC may in their discretion mitigate any penalty, or stay or compound any proceedings for recovery thereof, and may also, after judgment, further mitigate or entirely remit the penalty. TMA70/S102.
Mitigation will be considered in three circumstances.
- Where some sort of HMRC maladministration, usually delay, has caused or contributed to the size of the penalty – where delay and/or lack of co-operation by the taxpayer have caused the department additional costs that will weigh against mitigation.
- Where to enforce payment of the penalty would cause the taxpayer genuine and absolute hardship.
- Other exceptional circumstances such as the penalty or penalties being wholly disproportionate to the offence – for example a large tax-geared failure penalty under S93(5) following upon very large S93(3) daily penalties for the same offence, or belated information revealing the type of situation set out at EM5212 (“In-built” penalty).
There is no appeal against HMRC’s decision on S102 mitigation and a taxpayer wishing to litigate would need to seek Judicial Review.
steve@bicknells.net
Deadline to register for self assessment tax return is 5th October
You may never have worried about filling in a tax return before now. Unfortunately you could be in for a shock and a penalty if you fail to register a new source of income for the tax year ending April 2013. You have until October 5th to register any change in circumstances with HMRC. This is particularly likely to affect those employees with earnings over £50,000 still claiming child benefit.
So who needs to complete a tax return?
You need to complete a self assessment tax return if any of the following apply:
- You are self-employed
- You are a company director, unless it is a non-profit organisation and you don’t receive payments or benefits
- You are a Minister of Religion of any faith
- You are a Lloyds Name/Member
- You have annual income over £100,000
- You are an employee/pensioner but have other taxable income
- You are over £10,000 taxed income from savings/investments.
- You have over £2,500 of untaxed savings/investments.
- You have over £10,000 of property income before expenses or £2,500 property income after expenses
- You earn over £50,000 and are still claiming child benefit.
A phone call to the HMRC self assessment helpline on 0300 200 3310 will enable you to beat the deadline and register for a tax return for your income source. But allow yourself plenty of time for the call. My phone call this morning to register for a tax return took 25 minutes to be connected to an HM Revenue & Customs Officer.
Helen Alexander ACMA
helen@millbrookfm.co.uk
Business Accountant 